The Blood of Olympus: The Sea Spawn and the Mutt
by dkhockey18
Summary: My version of BOO. After closing the Doors of Death, Percy Jackson and the crew of the Argo II start for Athens, but their voyage is interrupted when the giants attack. The crew will have to trust a mysterious and dangerous ally in order to defeat Gaea once and for all. COMPLETED. Sequel in production.
1. Boarded

**A/N: I don't own anything. Enjoy! More chapters to come.**

**Boarded**

Town after little town whipped by as the Argo II traveled southwest towards Athens. Percy watched them go, wishing that he and his friends could just put down in one, disappear, and forget this quest. Unfortunately, he had to remind himself that if they did that, there would be no one to protect that town. Gaea would destroy it when she rose. Percy huffed and turned away from the railing.

Leo was running around the deck frantically. No one else was awake yet to help. The sun had barely risen, but Leo was trying to install as many upgrades as he could before they reached Athens. Percy silently thanked him again. They would need everything the little maniac could throw together.

Percy had left Annabeth sleeping in her bed. She had had an especially bad nightmare, so he let her get extra sleep. He couldn't sleep much but wasn't overly worried about that, as they had only escaped Tartarus a few days ago.

A shudder ran down Percy's spine. Even just thinking about that place nearly gave him a panic attack. Percy tried to help Leo to keep his mind focused on a task, but Leo wouldn't allow it. Apparently, Percy needed some serious R & R, but he was anxious. The truth was everyone needed some peace and relaxation. Percy didn't think that he and Annabeth deserved to be treated differently, which made Leo's refusal of help that much more frustrating.

Still, he was thankful. It meant a lot to know his friends cared about him this much, and Percy knew Leo had taken their fall into Tartarus particularly hard. So he and Annabeth humored him. Deep down, Percy was glad, because in all honesty he was still exhausted and he was dreading the coming battle. This was the first time Percy truly wanted to give it up. Not because he thought they couldn't do it, but because he thought that they shouldn't _have_ to do it. After falling into Tartarus, he would gladly let the next generation of heroes field this problem.

He shook his head. No, this was their fight. Gaea threw them into that pit, and Gaea was going to see what an angry son of Poseidon could do when someone tries to kill his girlfriend.

Under Leo's strict orders, Percy stood to the side trying to plan the attack on Athens while the rest of the crew materialized one by one to perform their tasks. Words were sparse and the air was tense, as if everyone was giving themselves a mental pep-talk.

Annabeth was one of the last to emerge from below. She spotted him and marched over, "Seaweed Brain, you were supposed to wake me. I can't be the last one up."

"Sorry, but you looked so pretty. I didn't want to disturb you," he replied.

She still tried to appear angry, but her eyes shone gratefully. She winked and punched his arm, "Don't go soft on us now."

After what felt like hours, but was probably only minutes, of pacing the deck offering help, Percy stopped asking. When he thoguht no one was looking, he started moving around crates that Leo had been yelling at Frank to move all morning. Annabeth realized what he was doing and followed his lead. Piper caught them and guided them back to the railing. With just an ounce of charmspeak, she goaded them into staying put for a while before she returned to her own work. Percy and Annabeth both huffed so loud that the whole deck heard.

At least seeing us staying strong gave them hope, Percy thought as their reaction brought smiles to every face.

A chilly breeze blew past Percy, and the hair on his neck stood up. He looked to Annabeth whose face said that she clearly felt it too. If you were a demigod, you learned to take omens like that seriously.

"Did anyone else feel –" Percy started to call out. He stopped when he realized everyone else had stopped what they were doing. They could sense something was very, very wrong.

"Okay. Battle stations ladies, gentleman, and Zhangs," Leo called out. His voice was surprisingly commanding, "Better to be safe than dead. Festus scan –"

Leo was interrupted when a flash of light erupted in the center of the deck. The flash seared Percy's eyes and threw him to his knees. Quickly, he jumped to his feet and uncapped Riptide, but his vision returned too slowly.

What felt like an impossibly large hand grabbed him by the waist and pulled him into the air, but didn't let go. Percy regained his sight only to realize he was a few feet from the face of a giant. Looking around, he saw the others still in various states of recovery from the divine flashbang. Another giant stood over Frank with his back to Percy and hsi captor. But the worst sight of all was in the giant's other hand. Annabeth was unconscious, her body limp and slumped over the giant's fingers.

Anger surged through his body, but Percy's arms were pinned to his sides. The giant holding them smiled at his struggling, "Well, Percy Jackson, we finally meet. If you haven't guessed, I am Porphyrion, the Bane of Zeus."

The other giant turned to face them. All of the giants were monstrous and grotesque, but this one was ugly even for them, "Porphyrion, this was too easy. We should have done this ages ago. Now they have closed the Doors."

Porphyrion's smile faded, "Our brothers failed us. We underestimated these demigods, but no more," he gave Percy a squeeze for good measure, "Now, we will take just these two to Athens. They will more than suffice for the required sacrifice. No more games."

A dragon threw the other giant to the deck before he could respond. Frank had recovered quickly, and waited for the giants to get distracted. Jason leapt from behind a crate and brought his sword down on the giant's breastplate. Lightning erupted where the metals met, but Jason was thrown backward. The giant laughed as he stood up, "Where are your parents now, little ones? There is no help coming this time." He was engulfed in flames from Leo, who now stood behind them.

"Enough!" Porphyrion cried, "Otus, I must take these two. Destroy this poor excuse for a ship."

The giant squeezed and red crept into Percy's vision. He yelled and struggled with renewed strength, but was blinded by a flash of light before blacking out.

_Do not worry, you will still get to watch._

Percy knew he was unconscious, but Gaea's voice led his mind, if not his body, back towards reality. Slowly, a vision materialized in his mind's eye. He saw the Argo II below him. To say the deck was chaotic would be the understatement of the century. The ship was flying through a black storm cloud while swaths of deck and sail were burning. Fingers of lightning reached out for the giant, but he swatted them away as if they were mosquitoes.

Frank was currently in bull form. He was charging again and again at the giant's legs, trying to bowl him over. Whenever Otus wasn't deflecting lightning from Jason or fire from Leo, he would try to kick Frank off the ship. Frank eventually went sailing overboard. The giant's relief was short-lived, and his smile died when Frank climbed back over the side as an even larger dragon.

Jason was dragging the an unconscious Piper behind the cover of a large crate, while whipping up the storm as best he could. Hazel stood on the top of the mast. Whenever she jerked her hand, a large fragment of precious metal would come catapulting from the earth to the ship. Another flick of her wrist sent the stone hurtling into the giant. Her attacks were the most damaging to Otus, but her strength was visibly draining. The rocks were coming at slower intervals. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

After absorbing another burst of flame from Leo and Frank, Otus lifted his massive, bone-white scythe and brought it down on the base of the main mast. The wood fragmented, jerked, and began to fall. Hazel was thrown into the air, screaming. Frank leapt from the deck and caught Hazel on his back. He hovered in the air off the deck, unsure how to continue his attack.

"Frank, grab Leo! We have to get out of here!" Jason cried out. His face was covered with ash and blood, but the anguish was still clearly visible, "Now!"

"No!" Leo screamed back. Otus was laughing now as nearly the entire deck was engulfed in flame, "I'll go down with my ship, and the big idiot is coming with me!" Leo charged the giant, his entire body on fire.

"I'm sorry, Leo." Jason said, but Leo didn't hear him. Jason flicked his wrist. The storm lifted Leo into the air and shot him off the deck, cursing, "Think fast Frank!"

Frank didn't hesitate and dove after Leo. Jason grabbed the still unconscious Piper by the waist and leapt off the deck, carried by the winds.

Cackling, Otus brought the scythe down in the center of the deck. The hull fractured down the middle. The giant, satisfied with his handiwork, flashed out. The two halves of the ship began falling away from each other in slow motion, still burning.

Gaea's laughter filled Percy's mind as the vision faded to black.


	2. Wonder Boy Saves the Day

**A/N I own nothing. **

**Wonder Boy Saves the Day**

Percy awoke only to have his senses overwhelmed by pain. Every inch of his body felt like it had been stepped on by Typhon. With much effort, he opened his eyes. The light from the sun sent ripples of pain through his head and he had to close his eyes again. He already wanted to cry, but knew this was only the beginning. His first realization was that he was upright, his hands chained above him. But he was in a kneeling position. It made him feel weak, inferior.

After forcing his eyes to stay open, he took in his surroundings. He realized he was in an ancient Greek building of some kind. The white marble columns made up the entirety of the walls and were each the width of a giant. He was positioned so that he was looking at the front entrance, which was about two hundred feet away. The ceiling had caved in long ago. He couldn't turn far enough to see behind him.

The worst realization was that he wasn't alone. In front of him were the two giants that had abducted him from the Argo stood. They were talking in hushed voices. Even worse, to his left, chained in the same way, was Annabeth.

Percy let out an involuntary whimper. He was quiet, but not quite quiet enough. Porphyrion wheeled around, "He's awake!"

"Impossible!" the other giant roared.

"I beg to differ." Percy said weakly.

Otus shook his head and began pacing, "No! We need more time, Porphyrion. It was hard enough to conceal him before. They are still closing in. It will not be long until they find him." His voice was full of panic.

"Let them come. We destroyed their ship once. It will be worse for them this time." The king giant roared back.

"But they've found the Mutt –"

"Enough!" Porphyrion was inches from his brother's face, his voice steamed with rage, "We will not fail. They cannot stop us. If that one comes, we'll kill him first. Save us trouble in the future."

"We should move them, or call for our brothers. You saw what he did to Gration. I do not intend to suffer the same fate."

Percy had no idea who this mystery giant slayer was, but he wanted to shake his hand. The giants were more afraid of him than the gods. He really hoped this guy was coming to rescue them.

"Stop your babbling. We will not move. Gaea wants them here. And we certainly will not request help from our brothers," he snarled, "Besides, it's only a few more days now."

"They will find-"

The building shook, and Otus had to leap out of the way as one of the marble pillars came tumbling down. The look on the giants' faces said that was definitely an impact, not an earthquake.

Percy smiled, "You were saying?"

Otus scowled, but turned away just in time. A bright red chariot flew through over the pillars directly at the giants. A figure jumped out as the driver pulled the chariot away. If Otus hadn't turned, the body would have knocked him clean over. Instead he was able to deflect the human projectile, which rocketed over Percy and out of sight.

The giant grinned, but faltered when a shadow encompassed everyone in the room. Percy looked up, and for a second thought the Argo II was rescuing him. It was a floating Greek trireme, but it was painted black, with gold trim. The ship was smaller and sleeker than Leo's creation, but it bristled with three ballistae, which were all aimed at the giants.

Porphyrion and Otus were gaping at their seemingly horrible luck. They didn't notice that the person who dive-bombed Otus had miraculously recovered and walked back to the center of the room. He strolled past Percy without saying a word, twirling his sword. His hair was black like Percy's, but much longer. The cloak he wore was dark and thick, as if he experienced long, hard winters. Its clasp was a stark white. His eyes scared Percy, because they were storm-grey, just like Annabeth, except the only thing in them was pure loathing.

Despite his captivating eyes, Percy found himself drawn to the boy's sword. It was beautiful. A deep blue hilt was encrusted with a white diamond the size of an eye. The blade was two-toned, clearly forged from Imperial Gold and Celestial Bronze. The metals were intertwined in a spiral. It radiated power.

He addressed the giants, "Thank you for picking up my delivery. You can be on your way now. I'm sorry but I don't have the cash to tip you." His voice was casual, but the smile was clearly fake. He could only barely conceal his anger.

"Our brothers will be so happy to hear we killed you, Mutt." Porphyrion hissed. Otus looked ready to cower behind his brother.

"Today is not your day, Porphyrion. I'm here for him," the boy pointed his sword at Otus, then turned back to the leader, "But don't worry, I brought some friends for you to play with." The smile was less fake now.

As if on cue, a form landed in between the two parties. A large, black dragon stalked menacingly towards the giants. Percy realized it was Frank, and relief flooded through him. His friends had survived, came to save them, and they brought some bad-ass. Awesome.

From the other direction, a small storm cloud charged Porphyrion. Jason was riding his storm spirit, Tempest, on a collision course for the giant leader. He turned to defend himself and was struck from behind by a white flash. Percy recognized it as Piper's super-horse, Arion. The ballistae fired in unison. All three flaming missiles struck Porphyrion in the chest and sent him hurtling into the marble columns, bringing down a large section of the wall. His attackers closed in.

"Just you and me big guy," mystery boy said with a twinkle in his eye, "This will be fun."

Otus looked terrified, but he drew his scythe anyway, "I don't believe the stories. You _must_ kill me with a god. And I doubt any of them, especially your own parents, would even consider helping you. They'd love to see you dead."

Did he say parents? As in plural? Percy must have heard wrong. This kid had a certain swagger about him that inspired both admiration and loathing. He acually reminded Percy of Hercules from the cartoon Disney movie, except smarter and less buff. What was his nickanme again? _Wonder Boy_.

"That seems to be trending among immortals these days. You want to make this easier on us both and just _let_ me kill you now?" Wonder Boy replied kindly.

Otus simply charged. Wonder Boy sighed, "No one ever picks the easy way."

The following battle was short, but it was incredible to watch. Otus lunged with his scythe. The boy sidestepped the blow easily, darted between Otus's legs, and buried his sword hilt deep into the side of the giant's knee. This earned a roar from the giant. He lifted a massive foot to crush Wonder Boy, who rolled to the side. After standing, Wonder Boy charged Otus. He parried the scythe and forced the giant off-balance. His sword came up and cleaved off Otus's left hand. The giant cried out in surprise, and then anger.

Wonder Boy wasted no time. He ran and plunged his sword into the giant's other knee. Otus fell forward, directly onto the two-toned blade, which pierced his throat and exited the other side of his neck. It shouldn't have been possible, but Otus dissolved into dust. Percy was speechless. This demigod had killed a giant without the direct help of a god. As hard to believe as it was, Percy was thankful all the same.

"Jenni, come here and help me get them on the chariot," Wonder Boy called out as he strode over to Percy, his black coat covered in golden ichor, "Well, well, well, aren't you glad we showed up?" A smug smile played across his lips.

Percy was still in awe of everything about this kid. "How?" was the only thing he could choke out.

"We have a _lot_ to talk about, kid. Let's just get you and your girlfriend onto the boat, shall we?"

His sword cut through Percy's chains like butter, and he fell. Thankfully, Wonder Boy caught him and laid him gently on the red chariot that had parked behind him. A short blond girl hopped out and cut Annabeth's chains.

"You idiot!" she turned on Wonder Boy after laying the still unconscious Annabeth in Percy's arms, "You were supposed to wait for Ryder and Jack. Why do you always try to do everything without any help?"

He smiled, "What, exactly, about that fight told you I needed help?'

"That's not the point! You are going to get yourself killed! And then, I'm going to have to go to the Underworld and bring you back to life, just so I can kill you myself! Sound like a good plan?"

"I'll take it under advisement," the smile slowly faded from his lips. He whistled, "Everyone, let's get out of here. Let the overgrown moron go cry to his mommy!"

Percy had been too dumbfounded by Wonder Boy's fight to realize his friends were still engaging Porphyrion. The giant turned to them, "We _will_ kill you, boy! My brothers will return, and then you can decide which one of _us_ gets to kill _you_."

Wonder Boy glared at him, "Bring as many ugly brothers as you want, we'll kill 'em all. Go tell Gaea that the Mutt and the Sea Spawn are coming for her, together. Tell her that the Flotilla and the two camps are united. Tell her that she won't be waking up when she goes to sleep this time."

Porphyrion didn't seem to have a comeback, so he growled and flashed out. Percy didn't know what Wonder Boy was talking about, but was too tired to think about it. This kid actually reminded Percy less and less of the Hercules character and more like himself. Whether that comaprison would hold true remained to be seen. The nickname fit him though, if only because Percy could tell he would hate it. But what good is a nickname if you like it? None, Percy decided as he held his Wise Girl tightly with a smile. They were safe, for now, and with their friends. They would figure out the rest later.

As they rose into the sky, Percy gasped as he realized where they had been held captive. Wonder Boy turned around and laughed, "I thought it was a hobby of yours to destroy monuments?" he commented with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, yes, but generally not ancient Greek ones," Percy replied, "Annabeth is going to kill us."

Wonder Boy's smile faded as they watched the marble columns of the Parthenon crumble in domino-esque fashion.


	3. Revelations

**A/N: I own nothing**

**Revelations**

Percy woke up to someone shaking him violently. At the same time his eyes snapped open, his hands shot out and grabbed his assailant by the neck.

"Easy there, Percy. It's about time you rejoined the world of the living," Leo said, gingerly prying Percy's hands from his neck. "We need to get you two up to speed. You've missed a lot."

"Next time, be more gentle, and I won't almost strangle you, deal?" Percy replied.

"Well, it was harder to wake you up than I expected." Leo explained flatly.

Percy allowed his muscles to relax. He flopped back into his pillow, arms outstretched, and his right hand made contact with the face of the other occupant of the bed.

"Ow!" Percy got slapped across the face. Annabeth propped herself up on her elbow, "What did I do to deserve that, Seaweed Brain?"

"Sorry, it was an accident," Percy answered, his face turning red.

Before the two of them could start arguing, Leo interjected, "Great! You are both up. Now let's go meet our new friends."

Percy didn't really process what had happened on the Argo II and at the Parthenon, "Do I get a shower first?"

Leo grinned sadly but Annabeth was all over him, "What do you mean 'new friends?' Percy what happened?"

The memories flooded back to Percy. His head started to throb and he groaned, "We, uh, kind of blew up the Parthenon while you were unconscious. Well, I was tied up. It was them." He pointed at Leo, "Oh my gods, Leo, the ship, I'm so sorry." His voice trailed off at the end.

Shaking his head at him, Leo declined Percy's offer of a hug, "No. We can be sorry later. It sucks and it hurts, but we have a war to win." His voice exuded a façade of confidence, but Percy was proud of the kid's strength.

"Don't blame me about the Parthenon, blame the Wonder Boy. It was his plan," Leo continued with outstretched hands, "But it doesn't matter. Let's go, Annabeth you can yell at _him_ for the _travesty_ that was committed against architecture." Leo's voice was dripping with his usual sarcasm, and Annabeth punched him as she stood up.

"His name is Wonder Boy? Is he superman's kid or something?" Percy asked.

Leo looked at him inquisitively, "No, that's what you called him when we first got you here. You were pretty out of it, but the name has stuck. Even some of his friends think it's funny." Leo seemed pleased, as if this was his handiwork.

Then the smile faded, and Leo was serious again. Percy shook his head and followed Leo and Annabeth out of the room. He made a mental note to talk to Jason about Leo later.

The corridor was almost identical to the Argo II's workmanship, which was odd. The only difference was the wood was red. Leo hung a right down another hallway. Annabeth slipped her hand into Percy's as they walked. Only about ten feet down the hall, Leo pushed open a set of double doors into what appeared to be the mess hall.

The whole room was white, with a low ceiling that draped fluorescent lights. At the far end was a typical school cafeteria bar. It appeared to be enchanted similar to the plates on the Argo II because Percy saw Frank summon two chili dogs from an empty hot plate.

Tables were scattered haphazardly through the room, but there was a cluster pushed together in the middle, that a group of eleven other, presumably demigods, sat.

All of Percy's friends were thankfully there. They sat opposite to the seven who were their apparent saviors. Quickly, Percy sized them up, and assumed Annabeth did the same. At the far left was a broad-shouldered boy with dark hair and eyes. He seemed uninterested. Next to him was a tall, lean girl with white hair and dark eyes. She was looking at Percy intensely, but without malice. Percy broke off eye contact with her to look at the next kid, a boy with short, dark hair. He was looking at the trio, but with a faraway look in his eyes.

The girl who had driven the chariot, Jenni, sat between the daydreamer and Wonder Boy. She didn't even look up when they approached. The giant slayer sat in the middle, leaning back in his chair while propping his feet up on the table. He looked a cross between smug and irritated.

_Gold eyes_, was the only thought Percy had when he looked at the next kid. The only beings Percy had ever met with gold eyes were the Titans, Kronos and Hyperion. Percy tensed, but realized his friends trust these kids. There had been no problems so far, so Percy was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, for now. The boy's hair matched his eyes. His stare was soft and seemingly compassionate, which Percy was not used to seeing from eyes of that color. Percy's mouth turned up a bit at the edges, into a kind of forced smile. The blond haired boy at the end of the table was asleep.

"Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase, welcome aboard the Marathon," Wonder Boy greeted them.

Percy nodded, "Listen, thank you, but my head is killing me. Can we get introductions over with so I can stop calling you Wonder Boy in my head?"

Half of the demigods started to laugh quietly. Wonder Boy was not amused, "Yes, I'd appreciate that as much as you, I think."

"Jack, wake up," the gold-eyed boy said. Jack didn't stir, so the other boy punched him, "You're starting."

Jack looked bewildered. Percy wondered how long they had been waiting here for him and Annabeth. He started, "Hi, uh, I'm Jack Farrell," the tall girl started clapping sarcastically and he scowled at her, "Son of Apollo, second generation Hermes." He finished proudly.

"What do you mean second generation?" Annabeth asked inquisitively.

"I mean, my mom was a daughter of Hermes," he answered as if that was an everyday occurrence.

"Before you start thinking yourself into a knot, I'll tell you where we come from," Wonder Boy interjected, "We are the crew of the Marathon, which is the fastest ship in the Flotilla. The Flotilla is a fleet of ships like this one, and your former ship, that at rest dock together. It's basically a floating city that can disassemble and then rebuild whenever and wherever it wants. The Flotilla is a last ditch refuge for any mythological beings to dump their kids. We are sent here to be hidden or forgotten, forever."

The gold-eyed boy stood, "On that happy note, I'm Ryder York, son of Hyperion." He forced a smile and stared at Percy waiting for a reaction.

Percy's hand instinctively grabbed Riptide from his pocket, but he didn't uncap it just yet, "You're kidding right?" The boy shook his head, and Percy's grip tightened, "I _hate_ your father." His voice was full of loathing.

Ryder smiled at him, "It looks like we have that in common. Thanks for turning him into a tree. Dax, why don't you go last? Jenni, you're up." Ryder sat.

So Wonder Boy's name is Dax? That was a stupid name, if you asked Percy. His parents probably weren't too bright. Jenni stood, "I'm Jenni. Daughter of Aphrodite. Nice to meet you, officially."

Percy was able to study the girl for the first time. She was thin, and drop-dead gorgeous, definitely Aphrodite's child, but she didn't look healthy. Her skin was pale and thin, like Nico's. Percy could vaguely make out some of the veins in her neck and wrists. He checked out other people in view, but couldn't see their veins pop like that. The girl who had reprimanded Dax at the Parthenon was nowhere to be seen. Her face had anguish written all over it and she was clearly not one of the kids who were just going to volunteer the reason she was sent to the Flotilla. She sat down.

The boy who was daydreaming didn't stand, "You can call me Clark, son of Prometheus."

"More Titans, fantastic," Percy muttered, and Annabeth elbowed him in the side.

"I may have my father's logic and foresight, Jackson, but I am not as cold or as cruel. You'd take care to remember that," the boy replied coldly, although he didn't seem to be offended. Percy nodded even though he knew he and Clark were not going to be friends.

The tall girl stood. She was definitely athletic and very thoughtful looking. "I'm Skylar Pierce, daughter of Hecate." Her voice was soft and kind. She curtsied quickly. Jack booed her while Clark suddenly found his shoes interesting. Piper fidgeted in her seat. She could practically smell the love triangle.

At her curtsy, the final boy grumbled and stood, "Connor, or Keenan, or Keegs. It's whatever really. Hephaestus is my pop." Leo half-heartedly cheered.

Silence filled the room for a moment. Jason was the first to fill it, "Alright Wonder Boy, they're awake. Now I want to hear your story. How did you kill that giant?"

Percy had thought that the rest of his friends had been totally brought up to speed, but the mystery surrounding this boy had yet to be solved.

Dax stood and walked slowly towards Percy, "Hi, I'm Dax –"

"You're the one who blew up the Parthenon?" Annabeth hissed.

"Come on, Annabeth. I want to hear this!" Leo groaned.

After clearing his throat, Dax continued, "Well, technically, it was Keegs. He fired the ballistae." Annabeth glared at both of them but remained silent. "Anyway, I'm Dax, son of Poseidon."

Everyone gasped. Their eyes flew from one boy to the other and back. Their hair was the same black, they were both sarcastic, natural leaders, and _powerful_. Some of Poseidon was evident in both heroes. Dax was only a few feet in front of Percy now. He didn't continue. Annabeth looked horrified, "But your eyes. They –"

"Match yours? Yes." An audible "Uh oh" escaped Jason's lips, "Athena is my mother."

"You're a God?" Frank cried.

Percy was dumbstruck, "I really hate my family tree."

"Explain, now!" Annabeth practically screamed at him. Everyone in the room was captivated, even Dax's friends.

"Please calm down, I'll tell you what I know. I was born in 1980. I haven't physically aged since I turned eighteen. Apparently, Athena and Poseidon's rivalry had one of its worst spats in the last few centuries. Hermes and Aphrodite decided that they could solve the entire rivalry, and get a few laughs, with a temporary love potion. They were wrong, if you couldn't tell lately. _But_, that night produced me. Neither of my parents told anyone, but they knew that they couldn't keep me around Olympus. The two of them together are arguably the most powerful pair on the council. Zeus would have killed me had he known." He paused.

Everyone was speechless. "Are you a god?" Hazel asked.

"No, but I'm not a demigod. I'm in between. I think this is why I can kill the giants. Athena and Poseidon removed my godhood to protect me. Desperate, they went to Hades for help. There are other rivers of the Underworld that I don't think even your friend Di Angelo knows about, but Hades found one that removes immortality. I can be hurt in combat, but I don't know how much it would take to kill me. Percy, you saw me fly into a marble pillar. Would you have survived?"

"Not a chance."

"But I was unscathed," he brushed aside his cloak and lifted his shirt, revealing a long, white scar down one side of his ribcage. Percy saw Jenni wince and look away, "But I can be wounded. I don't know why I don't age. They didn't explain everything." Dax turned to Leo, "Are you satisfied with that story, Valdez?"

Leo nodded, his jaw hanging open. "Why hasn't Zeus seen and killed you since?" Jason asked.

"I imagine my parents would have something to say about it also, but that's just an optimistic thought. The real reason is because every ship in the Flotilla has powerful, ancient magic guarding it. The gods cannot see us here. Many of us are not supposed to exist, so for all intents and purposes, we do not." Dax explained.

Percy and Annabeth both slumped into chairs. Dax's story was too much to just take at face value. It was daunting just to toy with, let alone accept.

Wonder Boy continued, "Listen, I understand that this is nearly impossible to comprehend and accept, but I promise there are no tricks here. For better or for worse, I'm both of your siblings, which I agree is very weird. Take your time. I'll be above when you are ready to talk. There's a lot to discuss. I'm sorry it all came out like this. We were never supposed to meet."

Dax laid a hand on Percy's shoulder. There was actual remorse and sorrow in his eyes when he spoke, which surprised Percy. It was the first truly human moment Dax had allowed from himself in their company, and Percy hoped it continued. Living as one of the greatest accidents in Olympian history must be incredible, but he was consoling Percy and Annabeth as though he was supposed to feel bad for _them_. Maybe, he and Dax were more alike than he had originally thought.

Slowly, Dax got up and left. Ryder and Jenni followed him out. Jack resumed his sleeping position in the chair while Clark picked up a book from the ground. Keenan walked over to try to talk to Leo, but the fire wielder had raced over to Percy. The other boy looked disappointed. Skylar noticed and led him out of the room.

The Argo II's heroes crowded around their two friends, who were visibly distraught. Leo made an explosion noise with his mouth. Hazel and Piper both slapped him together. At least he was momentarily distracted from thinking about the Argo II.

Jason cleared his throat, "Let's leave these two alone for a while. Piper and Leo, why don't you guys go learn what you can about this situation from your siblings? Frank and Hazel, do whatever you need. I'm going to check out the armory," he turned back to Percy and Annabeth as the others scampered off, "Come find me if you need me."

Jason casually strode out of the room. Percy and Annabeth sat in their chairs, hand in hand, speechless and immobile for quite some time. After close to an hour, Clark looked over at them, shook his head, and returned to his book.


	4. Aphrodite PI

**A/N: I own nothing**

**Aphrodite PI**

_L__eo wasn't wrong_, Percy thought, Dax had dropped a huge bombshell. Poseidon and Athena's relationship had been rocky at best. Their parents' rivalry had always plagued the two demigods, especially in the beginning of their relationship, but this news cast a doubt on the validity of the façade that the two gods had put up. Did they really hate each other? How often did they have to console one another when one was reminded of Dax? Percy always thought that he was Poseidon's most troubling child, but clearly that was not the case. Their dad wasn't even able to check up on Dax most of the time, and Percy knew how much it hurt Poseidon that he couldn't see _him_ more.

Then there was Annabeth and Percy's relationship itself. Was it weird that they were dating and they had the same brother? Totally, but Percy decided that because he also had a dolphin-man, a horse, and a Cyclops as half-brothers, this wasn't _that_ out of the ordinary, as far as Olympic family trees are concerned anyway. But, what if they survived, got married, and had kids? Would one of them have his black hair and her eyes? Athena and Poseidon's grandchild would be a living reminder of their own child, who they had to give up. Maybe the gods' original objection to the demigod relationship wasn't as petty as Percy had originally thought.

All this and plenty more floated through Percy's consciousness during the timr he and Annabeth sat in silence. Annabeth was the first to gather her thoughts and return to reality. She gently squeezed his hand, bringing his eyes to focus on hers, and spoke softly, "Percy, we still don't have a plan. Like Dax said, there's a lot more we have to discuss. We should get moving."

He nodded, "Okay, let's go find Wonder Boy."

Annabeth grinned, "No, you go talk to him. I've got to talk to Jason, but first I want to check on Leo. Go have a son of Poseidon moment with him, and try not to tease him too much. Just because he's kind of a god doesn't mean you have to make him mad."

Percy smiled devilishly, "I wouldn't dream of it," he kissed her and let go of her hands, "Thanks."

The twinkle in her eye told him that she understood that 'thanks' was so much more. He didn't know how to tell her she was the smartest and most caring person on the planet in a new way, but he wanted to, because she proved it to him in a new way like this every day. Luckily, he did know he didn't have to, because he knew his Wise Girl always knew what he was thinking.

* * *

Piper had watched Jenni follow Dax out of the mess hall. She wasn't sure what the nature of their relationship was, but she noticed Jenni look away when Dax revealed his scar. There was definitely something there, but Piper couldn't get a handle on it. Jenni seemed very withdrawn, but Piper had noticed when she yelled at Dax at the Parthenon for abandoning his plan. It had reminded her a little of Annabeth yelling at Percy, but not quite the same.

Dax also made it hard for her to figure anything out. He had been so unwavering in his presentation of himself to the Argo II's crew, that Piper had so far been unable to read any significant emotions from him. He seemed to make hiding emotions and secrets a hobby, rather than a necessity, like Nico. It kept the job stress-free and easy, but infuriated Piper. She knew Jason felt the same way. He felt uncomfortable handing over the reins to a guy they knew nothing about. However, Piper could tell Dax was loyal, fierce, and hated Gaea and her children, which was good enough for her at the moment.

Her gut told her that Jenni wouldn't be far from Dax, who had told Percy he'd be waiting above decks, so she made her way for the stairs. If anyone could get Jenni to open up, it would be Piper or Annabeth. Piper intended to play the sibling card.

During the week that they had spent looking for Percy and Annabeth, and the following day they slept, the two groups of heroes had remained mostly separate. The only interactions revolved around rescuing Percy and Annabeth. Piper was hesitant to reach out for her sister, but knew that she would have to eventually.

Piper took this time to learn the layout of the ship. It turned out to be easy, as it was designed almost exactly like the Argo II. That struck her as weird, but it was Keenan's design, so it must be a child of Hephaestus thing. The Marathon was only a bit smaller, and had more firepower. Piper thought the black sails and paint made the Marathon look like a pirate ship, despite the gold trim. When she said mentioned that, no one agreed, and Leo still teased her for it.

After climbing the stairs to the main deck, she was awestruck for the seemingly hundredth time by the beauty of the Greek landscape around them. Piper's resolve hardened, Gaea wants it destroyed. This is what they were protecting.

Dax was on the far side of the deck. He leaned on the railing facing away from the ship. Ryder leaned against the railing with his back, and Jenni stood between them with her back to Piper, who froze. Ever since coming onto the Marathon, Piper had felt like an intruder. Everything she had learned about the Flotilla, which wasn't much, told her these people were private, and even when together, they were alone. There was a very specific way things were done on this ship, and Piper felt she was upsetting that balance with almost every step.

Ryder noticed her, but continued talking to Dax. His gold eyes never left hers. Ryder may be the biggest enigma of them all. His eyes were terrifying in color, but the way he looked at a person was soft. It was contradicting, confusing, and still kind of scary. When he had revealed he was the son of a Titan, a rather evil one at that, Piper had almost jumped off the ship. Despite his heritage, Piper sensed a deep calm in him. When he spoke, he seemed kind and understanding. When he listened to someone else, it seemed like he cared about every word they said.

While Piper was still rooted to the deck, Ryder nudged Jenni with his foot and said something. Slowly she turned around, hesitated, and then started to walk towards Piper, who couldn't meet her halfway. In truth, Jenni _scared_ Piper. Not in a physical way, because the girl didn't appear to be a fighter, but the girl was clearly tortured by some demons. Piper was afraid that just hearing about those demons would torture her too.

As Jenni walked towards her, Piper found her courage, "Hey Jenni! I was wondering if you wanted to hang out for a little? You know, have some sister time?" Piper tried to put on her best smile.

Jenni smiled quickly and averted her gaze, "Sure, let's go sit in the lounge."

They walked side by side in silence down to the main lounge. It wasn't very different from the Argo II's, with big couches and a long dinner table. The only thing it was missing was the live feed from camp. Thinking about that saddened Piper, apparently visibly, because Jenni noticed.

"Something wrong?" she asked genuinely.

"It's nothing. On the Argo II, we had a big screen in this room that had a live feed from camp. I miss looking at it. I miss camp." Piper explained.

"Oh." Jenni clearly could not relate.

"How long have you been on the Marathon?" Piper inquired.

"Since I was thirteen, so five years. In the Flotilla, kids stay on the flagship until thirteen, where we get basic training and education. At thirteen, we are assigned to a ship, depending on qualifications." Jenni explained.

"What qualifications did the Marathon require?"

"Dax is the captain of this ship. He simply picks. No rhyme or reason. No interview. No required skills. Other ships, depending on their missions, have required grades in school, navigation, or skill sets. He doesn't care. He looks for something in a person, but never tells us what it is." Jenni paused, as if unsure how to continue, "Being picked for the Marathon is both a blessing and a curse. Dax takes any assignments more as requests. He picks our missions, because the council is afraid of him and he is the best fighter in the Flotilla. Honestly, he should lead the council, but they would never allow it. He is an outcast even among outcasts, and everyone in his crew is tainted by that. Even if they offer him a seat, he would refuse. Politics doesn't suit him." Jenni laughed but didn't continue.

"What?" Piper prodded.

"I just thought that maybe politics is suited solely for those who aren't suited for it," Piper raised an eyebrow at her. Jenni giggled, "Sorry, then I thought of Dax trying to write a Constitution or vote in a booth or something like that."

Jenni was smiling broadly. Piper squealed and grabbed Jenni's hands, "Okay, now it's time for daughters of Aphrodite stuff. What is the deal with you and Dax?"

The girl's smile dampened, but not all the way. "It's confusing. I'm not really sure."

"Well, do you like him? I mean I sense something there between you two, but can't put my finger on it."

"Yes, I do." She paused, "We just seem to fit together, like puzzle pieces. I think he likes me, but I don't think he wants to let himself like me. Between the war, and his identity crisis, it's dangerous."

Piper was awestruck. Jenni was so shy during the meeting in the mess hall and on the deck. The only thing that seemed to pull her out of her shell was Dax. Even just talking about him was enough for her to open up. It made Piper happy.

The next question was the most important, and Piper was smiling broadly when she said it, "Have you kissed yet?"

"Well –" Jenni's eyes grew wide. She looked past Piper and stopped speaking. _Oh no, there's no way he's right there. It'll kill her._

Wheeling around, Piper came face to face with Jack, the Apollo/Hermes hybrid. He was grinning mischievously, "Don't stop! We were just getting to the good part."

"Get lost, Jack." Jenni hissed. Piper could see the shell reforming in her eyes.

"Don't you have a daughter of Hecate to tease?" Piper asked with her own grin.

Jack's smile was replaced with a pout. He looked like an Apollo kid, tall, lean, blonde hair, and tan. Basically, he was gorgeous, but when he smiled, Piper could only think of the Stoll brothers, which made her want to hold onto her wallet, if she had a wallet.

"Not at the moment. She's busy." Jack snorted.

"But you wish you could tease her, don't you?" Piper accused.

He only scowled. "I thought I saw something this past week, but I knew it the second you booed her back in the mess hall. Sit down here," Piper patted the couch next to her, "Let the daughters of Aphrodite help you."

"I don't need help and I don't like her!"

Now it was Jenni's turn to laugh, "Well, which is it?"

"What?" Piper had to choke back laughter.

Jenni stood up and pushed him onto the couch next to Piper. The shell was broken again, and Piper smiled. "You either don't need help because you know she likes you back, in which case you wouldn't be scowling or you don't like her, in which case you wouldn't be scowling." Jenni explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Hey now, since when are we talking about me?"

"Since you won't answer the question…" Piper started.

"Which means you like her, and it's our job to help." Jenni completed.

The scowl was still deeply entrenched on Jack's face, but his eyes grew wide.

"Fine, I'll talk, but you have to swear it doesn't leave here."

"I swear on the Styx." The girls pledged together.

Jack's eyes flitted from one girl to the other, trying to determine if they were lying. He was apparently satisfied with what he found because he started talking.

"Okay, I think she's really pretty. Are you two happy now?" The girls nodded. Jenni poked him in the side to keep him talking.

"Ow! Okay, I don't know if she likes me. That's not the issue. It's that creep, Clark. He stares at her more than I do!" Jack exclaimed.

Piper and Jenni exchanged a glance. Piper started, "No, she's too nice for him. I haven't been around long, but I can say I don't sense a thing between them."

Jenni continued, "And she mocked you just like you mocked her during introductions. She actually did it first, remember? So that's a good sign. You are doing fine, now go find her."

"Thanks," Jack said quietly. If he had walked any faster out of the room he would have been running.

The girls high-fived and laughed as they sat back on the couch. Piper was really starting to like Jenni when she let her guard down. She was tougher than her siblings back at camp, which Piper could relate to, but some of their mother shown through that tough exterior. It was just enough for Piper to like having an actual sister again.

"Come on, Jenni, let's go find Wonder Boy." Piper teased.

Jenni sighed, but smiled as she allowed Piper to pull her towards the stairs.


	5. No One's Ever Asked

**A/N: I own nothing.**

**No One's Ever Asked**

In the past week, Jason had not spent much time perusing the ship. He had been too busy between trying to comfort Leo, trying to spend time with Piper, trying to get answers from the Marathon's crew, and trying to find his friends. There had been too much trying to do things and not enough things getting done, so Jason had been in poor spirits. Jason's frustration was building day by day, so when they finally found Percy and Annabeth, the others had had to restrain him from charging into the Parthenon by himself. He had been able to relax somewhat once the others were rescued, but the Titan boy and Dax's newly revealed heritage kept him wary. There were too many people keeping secrets on this boat.

For all of these reasons, Jason had been too preoccupied to study the layout of the ship that he was now lost on. He was trying to find the armory, which was his favorite section of the ship. The Marathon was equipped with a wide range of weapons, from Medieval to modern. Jason loved testing new ones out on dummies for stress relief.

Even though it was his favorite part of the ship, he had never gone alone before. It was only a matter of time before he stumbled into it, he thought. The ship was only so big.

After deciding that he should have taken a left instead of a right out of the mess hall, Jason retraced his steps. He heard footsteps coming down the stairs, but didn't look in that direction. He didn't want anyone to know he had gotten lost.

"Hey, Jason." A voice called to him.

Now he _had_ to talk. It was Ryder. _Great, it had to be Titan Boy_.

"What are you up to?" Ryder asked warmly.

It was hard to hate the guy, even if Jason wanted to. Ryder was so much more genuine than most people, especially demigods. It was borderline unnatural and it irritated Jason. He wished he could be that way.

"I was going to head over to the armory." Jason replied flatly.

Ryder hesitated, "It's this way." He grinned sheepishly and pointed the way Jason had just come.

Jason groaned, "I'm sorry, but I could use some directions."

The golden-eyed boy smiled, "Come on. I'll show you myself."

The armory was only a few corridors away, inside a door that Jason remembered passing at least twice. With a frown, Jason followed Ryder in.

"Built just like the Argo, and I can't even find the armory," Jason muttered to himself, but Ryder heard him.

"You have a lot on your mind?" Ryder questioned, already knowing the answer.

"You could say that." Jason said dryly while picking up a battle axe and testing its balance.

"You want to spar? It might help to blow off some steam." Ryder offered.

Jason thought for a moment and shook his head, "No, but thanks for the offer. I'd rather just crush a training dummy right now."

"Another time then," Ryder paused and then turned to leave.

Jason put down the axe and hefted a spear. With a thrust of his arm, it sailed to the other side of the room and impaled a dummy in the chest. He turned back to Ryder. This might be his only chance to get answers.

"York, wait." the boy turned around, "I'm sorry I've been so cold. You're right. I've just got a lot on my mind right now. If you've got a minute, I have a few questions."

"Go right ahead. By the way, no one calls me York."

"Well, if you were in the Roman camp I think they would. It sounds more like a warrior's name." Jason said with a grunt as he launched another spear, which found its target two inches above the first one.

Ryder thought it over for a moment, staring at his reflection in a sword blade, "I guess you're right. Either way, it makes no difference to me."

"Okay," Jason fired off his third spear and then turned to face the other boy, "First question, what is it like?"

Ryder's natural happy eyes dimmed for a second, "You mean being the son of a Titan?" Jason nodded, and Ryder continued, "A lot of it is as you would expect. Everyone is wary of me. I am judged, far more so than even Clark or the children of minor Titans. It is understandable. No one has met a child of a major Titan before. Some feared I would be immortal, and terribly powerful. When my father claimed me, I was shunned."

A spear flew from his hand and embedded itself in the face of Jason's target. Ryder smiled and continued, "But it turns out I am mostly like other half-bloods. I age like a mortal and I can die like anyone else. I do not enjoy being feared, but I do enjoy being different. I have a unique skill set. Did Percy ever tell you about my father?"

"No. He must have forgotten." Jason joked.

"I doubt it. During the battle of Manhattan, Percy defeated Hyperion in single combat," Ryder smiled as Jason gaped, "One night, in a dream, Gaea showed me the battle, attempting to turn me against demigods. She miscalculated, because I hate my father. He was brutal, cold, and spineless," Ryder's voice turned icy for a moment before warming again, "The dream actually made me trust demigods more, especially Dax, who I recognized as Percy's brother. Anyway, during that battle, my father used his powers to summon blinding light, control infernos, and surprisingly, walk on water. I can verify that I inherited his control over light and fire. I haven't tested walking on water yet."

Jason laughed, "Not even Apollo's kids can control light. At least, they can't to my knowledge."

"Nor to mine. Now, let me ask you, what is it like being the son of the King of the Gods?" Ryder acted like Jason must be asked this question all the time.

An even louder laugh escaped Jason's lips. Ryder looked confused. "I'm sorry. No one has ever asked me that before."

"_Really_?" Ryder thought he was kidding.

"I swear on the Styx. No one asks. Ever. They see me as Jason Grace, son of Jupiter. He was born to lead and bear the weight of the world on his shoulders. He must be stronger and braver than us, because his father is Zeus. Why would they ask the boy who is not expected to be nervous or afraid how it _feels_ to have to live up to the reputation of Hercules or Achilles? That would be a dumb question." Jason's voice was icy and sarcastic. He let loose another spear with such force that it punched cleanly through the center of the dummy.

"I feel like I have to work harder to impress people, or to stand out. Anything short of miraculous feels routine. I mean, look at Percy. The kid has defeated Gods, Titans, and Giants. He's survived Tartarus. Impressing people has become routine for him, but he never loses his flair. I don't understand how he makes it look so easy."

Neither boy spoke for a moment. Ryder chose his words carefully, "Jason, did you ever consider that people thought that way about you?" Jason stared at him without answering, so Ryder continued, "So what if your rap sheet isn't as long as Percy Jackson's? If half of what I hear is true, then he will go down as the greatest hero to ever live. There is absolutely no reason to think that your friends, or your _father_ ,for that matter, do not have anything but admiration and respect for you. I can say with confidence that they are proud of you, and that they all think _you_ make it look easy, including Percy."

Silence filled the room again and Ryder picked up another spear. It whistled through the air before decapitating the dummy, "I think our friend might be out of commission."

Jason let out a much needed laugh, "I'm sorry I went off like that. I've never said that to anyone before, not even Piper. For what it's worth, thank you, York."

"You have nothing to apologize for. For what it's worth," Ryder half-mocked Jason, "no one has asked me your question either, not even Dax."

Now it was Jason's turn to mock the other boy, "_Really_?"

Laughing, Ryder extended his arm. Jason Grace smiled and shook the Titan Boy's hand.


	6. Gaea Owns the Yankees

**A/N: I own nothing. It's Leo time.**

**Gaea Owns the Yankees**

Keenan's workshop was located in the bottom of the ship, right next to the engine room for easy access. Leo had been in there once to check it out, but had somehow resisted the urge to fiddle with all the gears. Now that all, well, most, er, actually Leo could only say for certain that _some_ of the secrets the crew of the Marathon had kept had been aired. It made Leo nervous to think about what else they were keeping if it had taken them a week to tell about the Mutt's secret.

_Mutt_. Leo had heard Clark mutter this nickname for Dax a few times under his breath. Piper told him that the giants called him that too. It seemed like more of a derogatory term to Leo though. No one ever called a dog a mutt as a compliment. No wonder Clark said it under his breath.

Now, that kid gave Leo the creeps. He wasn't as obvious in his disdain for the heroes as Octavian, but that was the only person Leo could compare him to. However, Clark seemed more distant, less power hungry, and definitely smarter than Octavian. Leo liked Ryder and Jack, and respected Dax. All of them seemed to trust Clark, so Leo would have to too.

He hadn't realized how deep in thought he was until he walked through the doorway of the workshop and barreled into Skylar, who nearly fell over. Leo covered his face, expecting to be punched, but the blow never came. When he lowered his arms, Skylar was just staring at him, with a warm but confused look on her face.

"Um, sorry." Leo gulped.

Skylar laughed, "Did you think I was going to hit you?"

Leo's face turned bright read, "Well yeah! Piper's hit me for plenty less."

She laughed again, "You Greeks and Romans are funny. No I would never hit you for an accident like that." Leo thought she was probably the only person on this ship who wouldn't, "Are you looking for Keenan?"

Leo simply nodded. "I'll show you. He's in the back."

Skylar turned down a passage between two shelves of spare parts. The girl was seriously gorgeous, and didn't appear to have a mean bone in her body. Leo had previously thought that was a combination only found in movies and books. When she walked, she was so graceful, that if Leo wasn't staring intently at her, he'd believe she was floating in front of him.

This was exactly the type of girl he would usually crush on, except she paid attention to him. Surprisingly, he found that attribute boring. The pursuit was fun and there were no expectations. If the girl already didn't like him, then he couldn't possibly screw it up more. No pressure.

Happily, Leo observed that these were relatively objective observations. He didn't feel an actual crush coming on, which he was proud of himself for. Besides, there was no way she wasn't already tangled up with one of the big shots on this boat, probably Dax or Ryder. It didn't matter though, because Leo Valdez was a one-woman man. The happy wave that had washed over him steeled into a hard resolve. Even after they defeated Gaea, Leo had one more quest, which was arguably of equal importance for him.

Deep in thought, Leo didn't notice the scrap of metal sticking out from the shelf. Skylar had deftly avoided it, but Leo wasn't really looking ahead of him. The metal made solid contact with his kneecap and Leo fell to the ground.

"Ow!" Leo cried, startled.

Skylar laughed and helped him up, "You've got to watch where you're going. There are a lot of things in this room that will do worse than that to you if you're not careful." Her smile didn't fade as she scolded Leo. He clearly amused her, but probably in a klutzy, little brother kind of way.

"You act like you spend a lot of time in here." Leo observed.

"Well, Keenan doesn't socialize much. He sticks to himself in here most of the time," Leo frowned. He totally understood his brother. "So, I come in and talk to him. He's very nice once he warms up to you, he just doesn't put in the effort."

Leo mentally added humanitarian and philanthropist to his rapidly growing list of reasons why Skylar Pierce was the most incredible person to ever grace the planet. He could add modesty too. She didn't say she 'looked out for Keenan', or 'felt bad for him'. She simply 'talks to him'. Leo followed Skylar around a corner and found himself in a circular space where all the shelves ended. In the center was a massive workbench. As Leo moved closer, he realized that it was really seven workbenches welded into an octagonal shape. Almost every square inch was covered with designs or parts. The 8th side was open for easy access. Leo whistled loudly.

A form hurried out from behind one of the shelves. The boy, clearly Keenan, was obscured from the chest up by the tall pile of gears and parts he carried in his arms. Gently, he placed his pile on the bench and turned to face them.

Naturally, Leo walked right past him and started looking at the gears, "Hey Keegs! You got loads of sweet stuff here. What are you working on?"

Keenan was absolutely flabbergasted by his brother's forwardness. Skylar laughed innocently at his expression. "Hi, Leo. I'm, uh," Keenan scrambled around the bench and lifted up what looked like an elongated car motor, "Accelerator for the ballistae."

Leo eyed it greedily. He was practically drooling. Looking at Keenan, "May I?"

His brother cringed. Leo knew it was tough to let anyone, even other Hephaestus kids, touch your projects and Leo had a feeling no one on the Marathon had even thought about it. "It's okay if you don't want me to."

"No, no it's okay. Go ahead." He watched Leo intently.

Grinning, Leo allowed his mind to shut off and his hands to take over. They flew over every nook, cranny, and gear of the contraption. Without thinking, Leo rapidly began to take it apart. Keenan whimpered and Skylar watched with less amusement. Leo could feel his brain absorb the schematics with every part removed. In only a few minutes, the entire machine was dismantled. Immediately, Leo's hands started the reassembly process. When he was finished he backed away and turned to Keenan.

"It's so intricate. Nice job," his brother smiled, "Which part are you trying to improve?"

Another figure stumbled clumsily into the area before Keenan could answer. All eyes flew to Jack, who had knocked a gear of the last shelf with his face. With one hand clutching his eye, he replaced the fallen object. "Oh, hey everybody! Don't mind me."

Skylar and Leo were laughing. Keenan looked off-balance. Skylar stepped over and addressed him, "What are you doing here, Jack?" She was smiling broadly.

_This guy? _She_ is with _this_ guy_? Leo was no romantic expert, but the twinkle in Skylar's eye and Jack's red cheeks were as clear of signs as anyone ever got. He didn't actually have anything against Jack. In fact, a budding friendship had formed between the two. Skylar was just out of Jack's league, or so Leo had thought. It was less a negative view on Jack and more of a divine view of Skylar.

Jack scratched his head nervously, "I wanted to see if you wanted to go for a walk, or something?"

"Of course! Let's go above decks." Skylar decided.

"Great." Jack glanced at the two brothers, "Good to see you Keenan. Fire Boy, we have got to talk later." Leo had told Jack about some of the prank machines he had designed with the Stoll brothers back at camp. Both of their grins were Hermes cabin worthy.

Skylar had stopped walking, "What did you call him?"

"Uh, Fire Boy?" Jack and Leo didn't understand why the name was important, but Keenan did.

"Leo, you are a fire wielder?" he asked his brother.

Realization dawned on Leo. "Oh, yeah. Leo Valdez, professional blowtorch, at your service." He bowed started juggling fireballs in the air.

"Oh yes, Leo, we are going to have a lot of fun," the devilish smile had yet to leave Jack's lips, "Come on Sky!" He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her down the aisle.

Leo looked at Keenan, who was still staring at him in awe. When Leo caught him, the boy picked up a small piece of machinery and began fiddling with it.

"Now we have two fire wielders." He muttered.

"Are you one too?"

"Oh, no." Leo heard a trace of disappointment in his voice, "Ryder."

Leo had to remember to compare notes with Ryder later. Despite being a Titan's kid, Leo liked Ryder a lot. He was overly warm, which was a nice change from the usual, in Leo's opinion.

"So what's our lineup look like?" Keenan looked at him without comprehension.

Ignoring his confusion, Leo continued his train of thought, "Well, we've got one fire wielder on the mound and another leading off. Batting second, we have Percy, who has total water control. In the hole, Dax, who I assume can control water as well?" Keenan nodded. "Good. Jason bats clean up, having control over air and lightning. Frank follows him with shapeshifting. Hazel has control over precious metals and some magic. Piper has charmspeak and –"

"Jenni also has charmspeak." Keenan interrupted. Again, Leo was surprised at how little he and his friends had learned about their saviors in the past week. Jenni didn't socialize with them much, but shouldn't Piper have picked up on it? Leo really didn't like the lack of information, but was grateful Keenan was willing to offer it up.

"Okay, so she's not just a pretty face. Jenni bats eighth. Worst hitter always bats eighth, not ninth, Keegs, and don't let anyone tell you different." The baseball analogies were lost on the other boy but Leo continued, "Rounding out the lineup is Skylar with magic. I'm right, right?"

"Yes."

"Great guess by me. Alright Keegs, who am I missing? Who's on the bench?" Leo inquired.

His brother thought carefully for a moment, "Jack is unnaturally fast and great with a bow. He's pretty good at deception to. He fights with a dagger up close. I like my battle axe." He gestured to the corner of his shop, where a massive axe stood. It was made of Imperial Gold with silver designs carved into it. The handle was covered with thick, black leather. Leo gulped. The axe probably weighed as much as he did. "Clark is only a decent swordfighter, but he makes up for it. He's brilliant at anticipating the enemies' moves, both in single combat and as a unit. What about Annabeth?"

Skylar had been very right. As soon as Keenan started feeling comfortable with Leo, his social skills, especially his vocabulary, drastically expanded. It was remarkable. Leo was happy that he was able to bring that out in his brother in such a short time.

"Well that one's obvious. Annabeth is our general manager and coach, and she's no pushover in a fight either. Without her, we wouldn't even be fielding a team right now." Leo paused and mentally revisited each demigod. He whsitled, "Well, if that isn't a World Series winning team, I'll take a dip in the Styx."

Keenan smiled at his brother's confidence, "And we face Gaea in the World Series?"

"Oh, yes. Gaea and her giants are the New York Yankees. _Everybody_ hates the Yankees. It's our duty to both Major League Baseball and Olympus to deliver unto them the biggest, most painful butt-whooping of the past millennia!" Leo jumped off the workbench with outstretched arms.

A familiar voice came from behind Leo and startled the two boys, "I'll tell Percy you were ragging on the Yankees. Jeter would never play for Gaea."

Leo was in damage control before he had fully turned, "Oh, no, you don't have to go to all that trouble."

Annabeth emerged from the shadow of one of the shelves. Keenan had been so entranced by Leo's display that he hadn't noticed her. "You're right, I don't. I want to." Her smile was evil.

No response was needed. Leo's eyes pleaded with Annabeth and she laughed. Keenan didn't speak or move. The sudden appearance of an unfamiliar person had rattled the social skills out of him temporarily.

"What brings you down her then, Wise Girl?" Leo teased.

"Don't call me that," her tone was playful but her eyes were deadly, "I came to see you. I saw Skylar and Jack and they told me you were in here." Annabeth explained.

"To what do I owe the please, m' lady?" Leo bowed again.

"I came to check on you. You seemed pretty shaken up before." She said with concern in her voice.

"Hey, you know you don't have to worry about me. Ask Keenan, I've been cracking jokes like it's my job, which it is, all day." Keenan nodded. Leo gulped. Truthfully, the craziness of the day had distracted him from feeling sorry for himself. He had failed his friends, again, and they'd lost the whole ship this time. Percy and Annabeth had almost been killed, again, because of him. The only reason they were still alive and the quest could continue was luck. Other demigods had swooped in and saved them. They had already done more than Leo ever had. While these thoughts flooded back to him, he tried to keep a straight face, but Annabeth must have been able to see it in his eyes.

As if reading his mind, Annabeth chose her words carefully, "Leo, it wasn't your fault. You've done more for this quest than any of us can ever thank you for." She walked over and touched his arm lightly, "We couldn't have gotten out of Tartarus without you."

Annabeth moved to hug him, and he met her halfway, "Thank you." He shuddered a little. Keenan watched the interaction in total silence.

When Leo pulled away, he looked Annabeth in the eyes, "I'm more upset that Dax killed Otus. I want his head for what he did to my ship." Leo sneered just at the thought of the giant, who had become Leo's new personification for the word 'ugly.'

Her eyes glazed over for a second in thought. Annabeth sighed, "Leo, as much as I hate to say it, I have a sinking feeling that we'll see Otus again. You'll get your chance."

Annabeth was right, if Leo did see Otus again, it would probably mean that Gaea was growing incredibly strong, but Leo couldn't help but feel a little excited for that meeting.


	7. Panama

**A/N: Sorry, this chapter is from Clark's perspective, so it's a bit different. I promise if you survive this chapter (for more than just the narrator), Percy and Dax will finally figure it out all out. Let me know if I should bump this up to T...**

**I own nothing**

**Panama**

When the leaders of their new acquaintances were too shocked by Dax's announcement to do anything, Clark watched the son of Jupiter take charge. _There_ was a leader. He was calm, intelligent, and tactical, while still retaining his courage and integrity. Clark disapproved of the Argo crew's chosen leader, Percy Jackson. Not that Jackson wasn't a terrifically powerful demigod and a valuable asset, according to the stories, he just should not be in charge. It was clear that the boy would do anything for his friends, especially his girlfriend, Chase. Clark had no doubt he would sacrifice everything, including the gods or his other friends, to save her. Jackson had already survived Tartarus with her once. There was no way he could be that lucky again.

Jackson's leadership strategy reminded Clark entirely too much of Dax's, another boy who Clark had tremendous respect for, but did not place his faith in as a leader. Their blatant disregard for orders and prophecies made them unpredictable. Clark had no patience for unpredictability. There was no safety to be found there.

Not that he wanted to lead, either, Clark just wished he had more faith in his leaders, now plural, by the looks of the way Dax treated Jackson. _They just had to be brothers_. The feeling in the pit of his stomach told Clark that the boys were going to get along a little too well. Now Ryder, he could lead this team alongside Jason. They would be a formidable pair.

Clark pondered this as he watched Jackson and his girlfriend chew on the newest addition to their family tree. The book he was reading was simply an excuse to stay in the room and observe them. He didn't even know its title. More information was needed about Percy Jackson before he was allowed to lead them all to war.

Shortly after the departure of the main group, Jack woke up from his nap across the table from Clark. He looked at Clark and scowled, but did not get up. They held each other's gaze for a few moments before Jack broke it off. Quickly, he realized everyone else had left, so Jack started for the door as well. Clark watched Jack stop walking when he caught sight of the two demigods, who were seemingly in a trance. His expression was pained, but compassionate. Jack did not try to approach them, and quickly left the room. The son of Prometheus shook his head.

Both of the demigods seemed to return to reality at the same time. They spoke, but their voices were too soft to be overheard. Clark sneered but didn't make a sound. Chase rallied her boyfriend with a few words and a kiss, and Jackson smiled like he'd just won the war. _Perhaps, she is as much his strength as she is his weakness. _

That thought was as disturbing as it was relieving. Chase was clearly Jackson's rock. She could keep him steady and focused. By her side, there was no doubt he could conquer any enemy he faced, but his need for her at his side led directly to some of his rash and impulsive decisions. Of course, other decisions of that category were simply because he was Percy Jackson. Clark smiled, that was an interesting thought indeed.

Soon, Clark was alone in the room with his thoughts, but not for long. Shortly after Jackson and Chase went off to start whatever mission they had decided on, Clark's thoughts were disrupted by yet another couple.

Frank Zhang's voice boomed from the doorway, "I'm sorry Hazel," he said as he backed into the mess hall, "But I'm starving. There was so much going on before that I forgot to eat."

"Frank, you ate four chili dogs!" Hazel Lavesque was following him in.

"I know Hazel, but we never know when we are in for a fight. I can't shift well on an empty stomach." Zhang apologized.

Hazel's façade broke and she laughed, "Fine, Frank, but make it –" Hazel, who was facing Clark now, noticed his presence. She saw he was reading and turned bright red, "Clark, we didn't see you! I'm so sorry we disturbed you!"

Zhang almost fell over he turned around so fast. His face was an even deeper shade of red than Hazel's. Clark smiled, "No, don't worry about it. Actually, I've been meaning to speak with you. Please, Zhang get some food and we'll talk."

Both of them exchanged glances. Clearly, they were still not sold on at least Clark's, if not his whole crew's, trustworthiness. He couldn't blame them for it. Hazel nodded to her boyfriend, who went to fetch an enchanted plate. She sat across from him.

"So, what's on your mind, Clark?" Hazel asked cheerfully.

Clark raised his voice so Frank could hear him from the bar, "I want to ask you about one of your friends, Percy Jackson."

A plate clattered to the ground and smashed. Frank cursed and Hazel gulped. "What do you mean?" Hazel inquired.

"I'm sorry, that sounded rather ominous. I don't mean to offend anyone, I'm just curious. All of you seem to revere this demigod. I will admit that the stories about him are incredible, but he seems impulsive, reckless, disrespectful –"

"Oh, he is." Zhang said with a smile as he sat next to Hazel. He took a bite out of another chili dog.

"What Frank means," Hazel continued, "is that is only a fraction of what Percy Jackson is. First, you tell me what have you heard of Percy Jackson?"

Clark raised an eyebrow, but Hazel's expression told him she had no intention of continuing this conversation if he did not answer. "I've heard the stories. Percy Jackson has recovered Zeus' Master Bolt and the Golden Fleece. He bathed in the River Styx. According to Ryder, he defeated Hyperion in one on one combat. Kronos fell to him and him alone. You and your friends have said he helped kill three giants and survived Tartarus. It's truly an incredible story."

Hazel's smile hadn't faded. "Why do you think he did all of those things?"

"I have absolutely no idea. That's why I'm asking. I want to know who I am entrusting my life to." Zhang nodded as though he thought this was perfectly reasonable, but allowed Hazel to field the question.

"Let's start at the beginning then. Percy recovered the Master Bolt because Hades kidnapped his mother, who is the second most important person in the world to him. He went after the Golden Fleece because it was the only thing that could save his camp and his best friend Grover was in danger. Fighting Hyperion and Kronos was incredibly difficult, but he did it because he was the only one who could, or would, and he was only able to do it by jumping in the Styx. Do you know what Zeus offered Percy as a reward for defeating Kronos?"

"I can only imagine." Clark almost salivated at the idea of being granted any request he desired by the King of the Gods.

"Zeus offered him the opportunity to become a god, and he declined. Percy's only request was that the gods claim all of their children, and that new cabins were to be built to house the children of the minor gods and Hades so that a threat like Kronos could never rise again." Hazel paused to let that sink in. Clark's jaw was practically unhinged. Zhang giggle and Hazel continued, "Percy declined becoming a god because he wouldn't leave Annabeth and his friends, and to show the gods some humility. Falling into Tartarus was not a choice for Percy, he would not let Annabeth fall alone."

By now, Frank had finished another two chili dogs. He decided to continue when Hazel trailed off, "Listen, if you asked Percy how he defeated the giants, his answer would no doubt include the word 'we.' Obviously, we've all stood by Percy, along with countless others, through all his adventures, but he deserves all the credit. Zeus offered only Percy godhood, because none of us would be here today if it wasn't for him. In Percy's mind, each one of the people who fought with him was equally deserving of godhood. That's why he did not accept it. Percy Jackson is the most loyal, brave, and powerful demigod any of us have ever met. He would die for any of us. _That_ is why he is our leader." Zhang nodded, seemingly pleased with his own answer.

The only sound in the room was Zhang's chewing. Clark felt no hostility from the two demigods. If anything, they seemed pleased that they could help to alleviate doubts about Percy's character. Hazel watched him intently, waiting for a response.

After rehinging his jaw, Clark gulped and spoke, "Thank you for sharing this with me. It helped, honestly. I didn't know people could be that selfless these days." Performing all those heroic feats was one thing for a demigod, even if each one was to save loved ones. Declining godhood was something else entirely.

Clark was glad that someone told him the entire story and not just that one part. It spoke to the characters of both Percy and his friends. Clearly, Percy Jackson was not able to be studied in pieces. He could only be examined and understood as a whole. _Loyal_. That word seemed to be the best fit. As far as his friends, Jackson's ability to inspire people to fight with him, literally, to the Doors of Death and back spoke to his leadership ability. Clark would have to see him in action for the final verdict, but for now, he would put his trust in the boy.

"Alright, now it's your turn." Zhang said through a mouthful of food.

Hazel glared at his manners, to which he was oblivious. She softened her gaze and returned it to Clark, "Yes, now we'd like to know about the mysterious Wonder Boy."

"Ah yes, the infamous Mutt. I don't really know where to begin. I've only been aboard the Marathon for two years, which makes me the newest and youngest member. If you haven't guessed, peopel around here are very private, but I'll tell you what I've seen and heard. Dax had been the Marathon's captain long before I even joined the Flotilla. The story goes that on his own quest for the Golden Fleece, he killed the Dragon of Colchis singlehandedly. During my stead, we defended Chicago from Lyacon and his werewolves and destroyed Echidna in her home in St. Louis. The Flotilla is not limited to fighting as Greek or Roman, you see. During the Titan war, we fought Kronos' legions, mostly in the south of the United States. Towards the end of the war and many times since, we were stationed in the Ancient Lands. Last year, we destroyed an empousai hive in Spain. But none of this interests you the way Jackson's story captivates its audiences."

Zhang put his food down. Both Hazel and he could tell the important part of the story was about to come.

"I don't know if you noticed, but we are the only ship here. We were sent ahead because we are the fastest, but also because we are expendable. The council that is in charge of running the Flotilla distrusts and fears Dax. We rarely have the opportunity for a glorious quest. In fact, the Flotilla as a whole generally does not. Those quests are left for the two camps. We get the grunt work, we are the unnamed infantrymen who fight and die. Personally, I have no problem with this, but some of the council leaders are not. A month ago, one of the seers, a son of Apollo, received a vision. Gaea had massed a large army in Central America, with bases in Mexico City, Honduras, and Panama City. The council wanted to carve out a slice of glory for itself, so, based on estimates from the seer, we sent ten ships to Mexico, and five each to the other two cities. The Marathon went to Panama." Clark paused, out of breath.

"It was a trap, wasn't it?" Hazel asked.

Clark nodded, "Gaea wanted the Flotilla weakened as much as possible because we had the largest army. The Earth Mother has forces of a greater number than I think you realize. Anyway, our ships were ambushed in Panama. One of our ships was shot down before we even knew we were under attack. Another quickly followed. Gaea had three times as many forces stationed than Apollo's seer had seen. The three remaining ships fought like Hades for two days. Then the giants showed up. After decimating all five ships in Honduras, they took the fight to us. There were three, Gration, Mimas, and Hippolytus. The banes of Artemis, Hephaestus, and Hermes, respectively."

Zhang and Hazel were entranced by his story now. If he hadn't been about to tell the worst part, Clark would have smiled. He swallowed and continued. "We were fending off an extremely heavy attack when they arrived. Mimas and Hippolytus boarded the one ship and dismantled it in a similar manner as what you described as happening to yours. But not Gration. He knew we couldn't help our friends without losing the Marathon, so he took his time. One by one, he plucked each crew member up and ate them alive, laughing the whole way. Some he took multiple bites to chew, and he never started with the head." Clark cringed, "We all saw it, and almost lost the will to fight. _Except_ for Dax, he went into a rage. With strength no one had seen before, he leapt from our ship and cut down every single monster while he carved a path towards the giant. He used his water powers to bring forth underground springs and drown hundreds of monsters at a time. Mimas and Hippolytus met him on the battlefield. Even the monster army stopped attacking us to watch the scene unfold. The fight was no contest. Dax cut them both down without breaking stride. He only had eyes for Gration. By now, a glowing aura, flickering from green to gray and back again, surrounded him. The light and fighting display was brilliant."

"I still can't decide what scarred me more, watching Gration eat my friends or watching Dax dismantle the giant. When he finally made his way to him, the army made a large clearing for the fight. Ryder took the chariot so he could be close by in case something went terribly wrong. The giant attacked first, and Dax sidestepped the blow. Dax continued to dodge every strike without retaliating for a few minutes. He appeared to be calculating his moves to perfection. When he finally did strike, it was over. Disarming the giant in one move, Dax moved closer and cut his blade clean through the giant's left knee. Screaming taunts and curses at the giant, Dax cut off his other leg at the knee, careful to avoid Gration's flailing arms. Then he cut both legs below the hips. Moving to the arm, he did one at a time, first at the wrist, then the elbow, then the shoulder." Clark pointed to his own body as he spoke for dramatic effect. "Each piece would disintegrate as he cut it off, but the rest of the body remained until he finished with the head. It only took a minute or two. The giant's screams still haunt my worst nightmares."

The two demigods across the table looked horrified. Clark tried his best to put on his best _but wait, there's more! _face.

"Luckily, Ryder saw what would happen next and sprinted to Dax. After overcoming their shock, every single monster in the valley swarmed them in outrage. They should never have survived. As the monsters closed in, the two, through some miraculous and unspoken bond, combined their powers. Ryder summoned all the fire he could muster, and Dax, still glowing, unearthed thousands of gallons of water. The two elements spun together in a tornado around my friends, destroying the first wave of attackers. Then the tornado exploded. The ensuing wave was what I iamgine as a nuclear blast. When the dust settled, every monster in a square mile had been vaporized. Whatever remained of Gaea's forces scattered. Dax and Ryder were able to return to the ship under their own power but then collapsed. They each slept for a week."

"Of the twenty ships we sent to fight that day, only five returned. Honduras was a total failure. The Mexico City raid triumphed but with the loss of six ships. If we hadn't killed the giants, all twenty would have been lost. We have not come under direct assault since."

It was a long few minutes before anyone spoke. Clark watched them both intently, trying to determine what they were thinking. Hazel's face kept shifting, not staying with one emotion for long. Zhang was more hardened. He seemed to accept the story and was willing to continue.

"Just as a warning, no one speaks of the atrocities that day. I felt you deserved to know, after what you told me about Jackson, but let's keep it quiet." They both nodded.

"So that's why the council doesn't trust him?" Hazel asked.

"Well, it was the final straw. They never trusted him because of his mixed blood. It was feared he would be too powerful and dangerous." Clark shrugged, "They felt this story supported that fear. It is also the reason Dax no longer holds much stock in prophecies and visions."

Hazel perked up, "Wait, you've had a new prophecy since then?"

Clark quickly realized his mistake. He was under strict orders not to tell anyone. "Hades, I wasn't supposed to tell anyone, so this must kept even more hush hush than Panama. I had a vision a few days after the incident. The Marathon's crew and much of the Flotilla's army were fighting at the base of _the_ Mount Olympus. The Flotilla was above us and thousands of monsters surrounded our pitiful army. There were a lot of demigods I did not recognize, but I do now, at least some of them. You seven fought with us there. Unfortunately, there was no sign of the gods, but I saw that all the giants had risen again. We sent word to the Flotilla, who are currently gathering reinforcements and plan to make way for Greece as soon as they can. The worst part was that behind our demigod army, two kids were chained. A girl, about Jackson's age, with ragged, black hair and electric blue eyes and a younger boy with dark hair, a dark cloak, and a Stygian iron sword on his hip."

Hazel shrieked and Zhang gasped. They both looked even more horrified than during Clark's retelling of Dax's gruesome kill. "That's Nico! Oh my gods. And that sounds like Jason's sister, Thalia!" Hazel started crying.

"Nico is Hazel's brother, son of Hades. Thalia is a daughter of Zeus and the lieutenant of Artemis' Hunters," Frank explained to Clark whose expression matched the horror on the others'. "We've got to find Percy. Right now!"

All three demigods sprinted out of the mess hall.


	8. Sons of the Sea

**A/N: Sorry this is so short. I decided to divide Dax and Percy's section and add a few things (like Clarisse).**

**I own nothing.**

**Sons of the Sea**

The sky was beginning to darken when Percy climbed to the deck of the Marathon. Percy couldn't help the dread that started to creep into his mind. He hated the dark. Dax was leaning against the railing on at the bow, and Percy made his way towards him.

Dax was uncomfortably motionless. He could have been mistaken for a painted statue if his long hair wasn't flowing in the wind. Percy didn't know where to begin, so he just walked over and leaned on the railing next to him.

Greece's landscape was breathtaking. The fading sunlight shone brilliantly off rolling hills and sparkling lakes. Percy could make out small towns scattered across the landscape. He was reminded that all of this was in jeopardy. If they failed in their mission, Gaea would turn the towns to rubble. Monsters would tear across the land and destroy everything beautiful. The order and relative peace that was Western Civilization would descend it chaos. The morbid thought gave Percy courage to break the ice.

"Where'd you get that sword? It's incredible." He started awkwardly.

Dax glanced at his waist, and then returned his gaze to the horizon. "Thank you. It was a gift from our father. He visited me at Colchis, after I killed the dragon. He did his best to explain everything to me that didn't threaten my safety at the time. That was the only time I spoke to him, and I've never met Athena."

"Forged by the Cyclopes?"

"I assume. Poseidon claimed it would never break and couldn't be cursed. It's never failed me." His voice was full of pride.

The brothers stood in silence for a few minutes more. They didn't know how to ask each other the question that neither had the answer to.

"So, _brother_, what's next?" Percy volunteered.

"We are supposed to wait for reinforcements from the Flotilla."

"I have a feeling that waiting isn't your strong suit either?"

"No, it's not. If you believe your friends are up for the challenge, we will attack Gaea and hope that we get help in time if we need it."

Percy paused. There were still too many unknowns for even him. "Before we talk battle plans. I need to know everything. How are you in contact with the Flotilla?"

"The internet." Percy was dumbfounded but allowed Dax to continue, "The ancient magic on our ships hides us from gods, Gaea, and Iris messages. But it _is_ ancient, and it is hard for ancient things to predict what will be required in the future. Hermes and Hephaestus kids were able to put their heads together and install wifi on all the ships about three years ago. The magic shielding allows our signals to leave, but monsters cannot lock onto us the way they normally would. We have an online chat room with the council and other ships where orders are posted and reports are shared."

"How soon until they arrive?" Percy decided he was just going to take everything he learned from his new friends with a grain of salt.

"No more than three days, but I'm afraid to wait. I don't know how, but some of the ancient magic has been," he paused, looking for a particular word, "altered. I don't know by what. The giants should not have kidnapped you so far from the Feast of Hope –"

"I heard the giants who captured me say it would only be a few more days." Percy added.

Dax was thoughtfully silent for a moment. "Exactly. I do not trust prophecies or visions, but I fear waiting is even more dangerous."

Percy hesitated, not wanting to cause Dax to withhold anything, "What's wrong with prophecies? I mean besides their being cryptic, confusing, and misleading."

His brother laughed, but his eyes remained dim. "One month ago, one of the Flotilla's most trusted seers had a vision of a massive gathering of Gaea's troops in Panama, Honduras, and Mexico. The council elected to send a preemptive strike of twenty ships in total. It was a trap. Gaea had three times as many monsters as predicted. We lost fifteen of the twenty. That was where I learned I could kill giants. I killed three in Panama." Dax's face and tone had severely darkened. Percy could see that the story was not that simple, but was afraid to ask.

"What prophecy are you talking about now?"

For the first time in the conversation, Dax looked Percy in the eye, "It's more of a vision, but you're not going to like it." Dax explained Clark's vision of the demigods battling the giants and their army in front of the two chained children. Percy paled and looked away when he identified the hostages as Thalia and Nico. Even Dax's face grew more concerned.

"I can tell you, Percy, that your friend di Angelo was able to get the Parthenos back to camp and avoid a war between the Greeks and Romans. If we survive this war, Nico could find a home in the Flotilla if he wants. It has provided a home for kids even more troubled than him before."

Percy glanced at him, "I'll thank you for looking out for our cousin _when_ we win this war." Dax smirked, and Percy saw some warmth return to his eyes. "So, you know Nico stopped the camp war, and the Flotilla is currently getting reinforcements from an unnamed source. I'll bet you twenty drachma that there isn't a fourth faction of demigods out there somewhere."

Dax's smile grew, "Oh, you mean the Persians?" His expression was frighteningly similar to Poseidon's when he joked about sending Percy's other siblings to camp. _Well, Dad, you sent me to him, so I guess you weren't kidding_.

"I hope you're kidding." Dax let out a genuine laugh.

"You're right. The Greeks and Romans are the reinforcements that the Flotilla is brining, plus our own soldiers. Our job now is to make sure there's a fight for them to join when they get here."

Percy noticed he didn't deny the existence of a Persian camp. He sighed, "Why do we always get to be the tip of the spear? Why not the cozy middle section?"

"Because you said 'get to,' not 'had to.' Don't pretend we don't volunteer to be a monster punching bag more often than not." Percy smiled.

The sibling bonding moment was interrupted by a familiar, gruff voiced erupted behind Percy, "You two punks are going to be punching bags for a whole lot worse if you don't turn around right now."

The sons of Poseidon wheeled around and came face to face with a floating image of Clarisse la Rue.

"Gods, this just got a whole lot more complicated." Dax said.

If the ancient magic was failing, Percy had a sinking feeling he knew _exactly_ who was causing it.


	9. The Art of Winging It

**A/N: I own nothing. **

**The Art of Winging It**

_Complicated probably doesn't even cover it._

"Clarisse, this is my brother, Dax, captain of the Marathon."

Clarisse's eyes narrowed, "Oh, so this is the infamous _Mutt_. We've heard all about you. He looks tougher than you, Prissy." Percy did not like what Clarisse was implying with that. He remembered the darkness that came over Dax when he talked about killing the giants and the rage Percy saw in his eyes at the Parthenon. _What happened in Panama?_

Dax started to laugh. "Don't you dare laugh at me sea spawn." Clarisse's face started turning red.

Another voice came from outside the image scope. "Now, Clarisse, please show some respect. Don't forget he saved Percy and Annabeth."

"Chiron, we can't see you. Clarisse's big butt is in the way."

Frustrated, Clarisse stepped back from the Iris message. Percy realized there were a few others in what appeared to be a stateroom onboard a ship. Reyna and Rachel stood to Clarisse's right. To her left was Phoebe, Thalia's second in command, and Chiron, who had to duck to be seen. _Pheobe? No, this is not good at all._

"Hello Dax, I'm Rey –" Reyna was cut off.

"There's no time for introductions," Percy was impressed by how Clarisse took responsibility. She had never wanted to lead, only fight. Maybe Percy's absence had forced her to grow up a bit. "Prissy, listen, we've been trying to contact you every day. You're cousins have been kidnapped. We are only a day's sail from Olympus now. You should know, Rachel's had a vision."

Rachel described her vision, but Percy's heart sank. He had wanted to believe that he could prevent Nico and Thalia from being captured. Neither of them deserved that, especially Nico. That son of Hades had given up enough. Rage filled Percy, and his hands instinctively clenched into fists.

"Rachel, one of our own demigods had the same vision, but almost a month ago. That's why we sent the Flotilla to your camp. Chiron, if this Iris message got through, then the ancient magic is weakening, and rapidly. I'm glad that you're so close, but be careful. Something is very wrong here."

"I had the same thoughts, Dax. I'm afraid we no longer have a choice but to fight her. If she is allowed to grow stronger…" The old centaur paused, "Suffice it to say, it is not long before the Earth Mother fully wakes."

Percy interjected, "If this Iris message got through, then the gods, and Gaea can see us. She'll know we're coming. Everyone has to be ready," his friends on the other side of the IM nodded, "Chiron, how can we defeat her?"

Chiron wouldn't meet Percy's eyes, "Percy, I do not know. We must fight, and hope that the gods come up with a plan. We must go meet the council now and discuss this new information. We will see you soon, and good luck, both of you."

"Thank you, Chiron." Both boys said at once.

"Make sure you save some monster smashing for us." Clarisse said before sticking her tongue out. Rachel waved as Chiron waved his hand through the image, erasing it. _I'm sure they'll be more than enough leftover for you, Clarisse_.

Neither boy moved or spoke. They didn't have to say anything. Gaea had to be stopped, but a lot of friends were going to die tomorrow. The job of preparing everyone on the Marathon for the coming battle fell to both of them, and it was definitely going to take a combined effort.

Dax sighed and turned to his brother, who stiffened, sensing a wave of anxiety roll off Dax, "Listen Percy, you are the most important demigod on this ship," Percy tried to deny it but Dax silenced him with a glare, "I'm serious. It's going to be crazy down there. If we have to make a sacrifice, you can't do it. It has to be me."

Shaking his head, Percy was interrupted by a yell from the stairwell. Turning to the other side of the deck, he watched as Hazel, Frank, and Clark sprinted towards the pair. _That's a weird trio_. Hazel's face told him they were delivering an urgent message, not running from an attack. Relief washed over him. The attack on the Argo still left him feeling vulnerable in the air.

Before the trio reached them, Percy muttered, "No one on this ship is dying tomorrow. Not if I can help it."

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of, Percy." Dax held his stare, concern and worry in his eyes. Despite the gloomy conversation, Percy was suddenly very glad to be fighting with a real brother for the first time. He allowed a hint of a smile to curl the corners of his mouth.

When the three panicked demigods stopped in front of Poseidon's children, they were gasping for breath. Clearly, whatever had happened scared the Hades out of them. Remembering Clark, was a son of Prometheus, Percy was afraid he had received another vision.

"Clark – vision - Nico – Thalia – Olympus – sacrifice." Hazel blurted out between breaths.

Dax tried to lighten the mood, "You guys seriously need to work on your cardio. I've already told Percy about the vision."

Frank grimaced, clearly upset he was almost barfing up his dinner for nothing. Percy forced himself to smile for a second. _We need to soak up any laughter we can get now_. "But it's time we told everyone, and we just received an Iris message."

Clark looked horrified, "Impossible!"

"I'm afraid not." The son of Prometheus started pacing and muttering to himself.

Dax walked to the main mast, where he opened a black box. Inside, he removed what looked like a walkie talkie, and engaged the intercom system, "Everyone get topside now. We've gotten a message from the Flotilla."

The five heroes stood in painful silence as the rest of the team quickly made their way to the deck. Ryder and Jason arrived first, followed by Keenan, Leo, and Annabeth. Piper and Jenni emerged a minute later. The group watched with amusement as Skylar and Jack climbed down from the main mast and joined them. Clark stopped to look wide-eyed at them, and then resumed pacing, even faster than before.

"Hey guys. Percy, Dax, we, uh, didn't even know you guys were on the deck too." Skylar and Jack's faces were both bright red.

"We didn't notice you guys. We were a little busy." Percy spat out awkwardly. Everyone else laughed.

"I hope it was for different reasons." Annabeth whispered with a giggle.

"Okay, well, anyway, we have a lot to discuss." Dax began. The two brothers quickly ran through Clark's vision, the status of the camps, and Clarisse's Iris message. Everyone was confused and worried about the failing of the ancient magic, but the Argo's crew looked crestfallen to hear two of their friends had been captured, again. Hazel looked like she was going to burst into tears any minute and Jason was so red with anger he might explode. Piper squeezed his hand.

Annabeth took charge, "We have no idea what's waiting for us at Olympus, but we will need help from the gods to defeat Gaea. In all of our fights, we've had to prove to them we were worthy of their help before raising a finger against the giants. We'll have to prove it again tomorrow."

"Which means we need a plan." Percy offered. When everyone looked at him he stammered, "Hey, don't look at me. We've got two brilliant Athena kids right here. I'll do my best not to wing it too much."

"I don't know, Percy, all in favor of winging it, raise your hands!" Leo cried as his hand shot into the air. Percy halfheartedly raised his, and so did Jack. Leo, frowning at his lack of support, used his other hand to lift Keenan's. "Four, that's a majority, right?"

"Shut up, Repair Boy," Piper hit him in the back of the head.

Before the two of them destroyed the conversation, Dax turned to Leo, "Leo and Keenan, is there anything you can upgrade the ship with?"

The brothers glanced at each other before Leo looked mischievously at Dax, "Oh, I'm _sure_ we can come up with a few things. We'll get started now."

As they ran off, Percy could still here Leo yelling, "Keegs, it's the bottom of the ninth, game seven of the World Series, we got our rally caps on. The Yankees manager calls for a pitching change. Slowly, the greatest closer to ever live, Mariano Rivera, emerges from the bullpen and slowly walks toward the mound to face the top of our order." Percy smiled, even though he'd have to hit Leo for ragging on his baseball team later.

The rest of the group watched in silence as they disappeared down the stairs. Annabeth broke the silence. "First thing we do when get to Olympus, we free Nico and Thalia. Hopefully they have the strength to fight. If not, we'll have to get them back on the ship."

Dax nodded, "If the giants are waiting for us, I'll take the chariot and lead them away. They'll want to kill me more than keep their prisoners."

"After we free them, we kill every monster in sight, give Gaea a good whack on the head, and call it a day." Percy added. Everyone smiled at his effort, but they knew it was going to be much harder than that.

"How are we supposed to put Gaea to sleep exactly?" Hazel asked, her eyes red from crying.

All the heroes who were expected answer hung their heads. No one spoke for a full minute. "It's like Annabeth said, we have to fight like Hades, get some divine assistance, and hope that they know how." Ryder stepped forward to answer. Percy would have appreciated a sarcastic comment from Leo, but his little friend wasn't here, so he put on his best smile.

"It'll be a walk in Central Park."

Annabeth laughed, "We fought Hyperion in Central Park, remember?"

Percy smiled at her, "Yeah, so? That was the easiest thing we did that day."

Ryder laughed and even Hazel smiled a little. "Okay, well we've done all we can for now. Everyone should get some rest, we'll need it."

Percy silently thanked his brother. Even though sleeping was the last thing on his mind, Percy suddenly felt very tired.

* * *

The group dispersed in waves. Jack and Skylar practically skipped back to the main mast, where they climbed back to their secluded spot. Clark sauntered towards the stairs looking frustrated. Jenni, Piper, Ryder, and Jason walked off in tandem, leaving Annabeth, Percy, and Dax alone at the bow of the ship.

Annabeth squeezed Percy's hand, "I'll be in our room. Piper, wait up!" She jogged over to her friend.

"You landed yourself an incredible girl, Percy."

Percy's cheeks warmed with pride, "Yeah, I really did, but I still don't think Athena's thrilled with it." They both laughed.

"We'll have to have a chat with her tomorrow, when this is over." Dax clapped him on the back.

"What about you?"

Dax pretended not to understand, "What do you mean?"

"Oh, shut up. I saw the way Jenni looked at you when you showed off the scar, and when she yelled at you at the Parthenon."

His brother winced. "I got that scar in Panama. I fought the whole battle without knowing it happened. I still don't know who or what landed the blow." He paused, realizing Percy wasn't going to let him evade the question, "What do you want me to do? She doesn't deserve to be caught up in the whirlwind that is my life. Jenni has always stood by me, but I couldn't ask her to do anything more than that." His eyes were full of pain.

"Dax, it took me and Annabeth four years to admit our feelings for each other. We were afraid, of our parents, of dying and leaving each other, and of getting hurt by our best friend. Since we started dating –" Percy almost doubled over in laughter.

"What's so funny?"

"I just thought about the word 'dating.' Annabeth and I have only been '_together_,' for a relatively short time, but I know we love each other. The word 'dating' doesn't cover what we are, not even close. When Hera erased my memory and dropped me in the Roman camp, the only things left in my head were my own name and Annabeth. Just her name and face, but I don't know if Hera left her in my head or my head wouldn't let Hera take her. It doesn't really matter, because the memory of Annabeth was the only thing that kept me alive and fighting. What I'm saying, I guess, is that it never hurts to have something extra to fight for. For me, I fight so that the two of us can have a happy future."

Dax looked thoughtfully at him for a few moments. "I have a feeling that Piper has already gotten her claws into Jenni on the subject as well."

"Well, if she did, then you don't stand even a chance against the will of _two_ daughters of Aphrodite."

"Now that you put it like that, I'm a little terrified. You might just be right about having something extra to fight for. Let's call it a night."

Percy agreed and they started for the stairs. "So, four years? You're not very observant are you, Percy?"

"Hey! To be fair, I was a little busy saving the world to think about my best friend having feelings for me. Then again, she kissed me before I blew up Mt. St. Helens, and then asked me on a date to the fireworks at camp, but it still took me another year, a dip in the Styx, and the world almost ending to figure it out." Dax stopped walking and gaped at him, "It doesn't matter now! I don't miss a single thing anymore!"

Dax started walking again. "You know maybe Annabeth's right. Your head _is_ full of seaweed."

A jet of water sprayed Dax, who only laughed. Percy cursed when he remembered his brother wouldn't get wet either, which only made Dax laugh louder.

* * *

As soon as Dax got back to his room, he collapsed spread-eagle onto his bed. For the first time in what felt like a millennia, he allowed himself to relax. He almost fell asleep just like that before remembering his conversation with Percy. Dax shot into a sitting position and anxiety welled in his gut. _You're supposed to be a god, but you're afraid of some girl? Get a hold of yourself, Dax._

Shaking his head clear, Dax stood up and starting pacing. He wasn't even sure that Jenni had any type of feelings for him. Jenni and Piper had been plotting all day, which could either mean something really good or really bad. Aphrodite and her daughters were not forces to be trifled with lightly.

His mind rewound and played back the aftermath of Panama, when he had woken up in this room. _Slowly, the memories of the battle and what he had done came back to him. His head burned and he let out a groan. Jenni, who was watching over him while he slept, squealed and jumped on him saying, "Oh thank the gods, you're alive!" Before Dax realized what was happening, she kissed him fully on the lips. After the heat of the moment had passed, she realized what she did and pulled away. Ryder, who had heard her scream, opened the door and saw Jenni on top of Dax, thankfully stopping Dax from saying anything horribly awkward. Jenni jumped off the bed and fell onto the floor. Ryder doubled over in laughter._

Neither of them had brought up that moment in the month that followed. Dax still thought about it, if he and Jenni were alone or just getting along really well. His resolve hardened and he headed for the door.

Dax swung the door open confidently, trying to get his testosterone flowing, and came face to face with Jenni. Her hand was raised as if she was about to knock and her face started turning red.

"Were you just leaving?"

"Well, yes, I mean, not really –" He took a moment as he felt his cheeks start to burn, "I was coming to see you." He could feel his smile stretching his face.

"Oh, any particular reason?"

He really had no idea how to answer her question, which he found rather funny. _What would Percy do? Something impulsive and illogical? Yeah, just wing it._ Dax stepped close to her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her passionately. At first, Jenni was so surprised that she forgot to kiss him back. When she finally did, Dax melted. In that moment, he knew that tomorrow was going to be okay.

Jenni pulled back and giggled, "Dax, I'm glad you didn't stick to the plan this time." She kissed him again and he backed into his room, letting the door swing shut behind them.

* * *

Percy almost didn't make it back to his room. He was so exhausted that he could barely keep his eyes open. On his way, he stumbled into Jason's room and awkwardly disturbed him and Piper. Then he walked by his own room twice, not remembering which door Leo had led him out of earlier.

Luckily, Annabeth stuck her head out of the door after hearing clearly confused footsteps and guided him to bed. Percy flopped down and Annabeth curled up next to him.

"Wise Girl, I love you so much."

"I love you so much too, Seaweed Brain."

Percy smiled as he drifted off to sleep, and had one of the worst nightmares of his life.

**A/N: If anyone has a good idea for what Leo and Keenan should build, please review! I'm open to suggestions even though I have a few of my own. **


	10. Don't Give it Power

**A/N: I own nothing.**

**Don't Give it Power**

The drakon wrapped its body around the Marathon like a snake. Percy watched in horror from the ground as the monster constricted its body, like an anaconda. The Marathon held, then exploded, sending wood and metal flying in every direction. Behind it, another ship caught fire and began to fall back to Earth.

Unfortunately, he didn't have time to mourn, because an earthborn chose that moment to hurl a chunk of rock at him. Percy ducked. The rock sailed past him and took off his friend's head, who had been locked in combat with Annabeth. They were fighting back to back, completely surrounded by a sea of enemies. Earthborn, gorgons, empousai, and just about every type of monster Percy had every faced had risen from the earth to fight them.

Just as another earthborn stepped forward to take the fallen one's place, every monster stopped advancing. A silent command rippled through the army, and every baddie directly in front of Percy moved to the side.

To his dismay, Gaea's mud body was walking slowly toward the pair, giants flanking her on both sides. She stopped across the clearing from Percy, and her children fanned out to the sides. Even worse, some of the Olympians were being dragged forward by the giants. Percy watched as Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Hera, and Demeter were brought forward.

A massive chariot sailed over their heads. Another giant, steering impossibly large horses, cackled as he shamelessly deposited Dax's bloodied body at Percy's feet. He moaned and tried to crawl to his feet. On one knee, Dax gasped in pain and fell. Gaea raised a hand, and the ground around Dax slowly crept up and swallowed his body. Gaea started to glow.

_I will awaken when the blood of Olympus falls to my earth. This boy is not enough, but the Elder Olympians will quench my thirst._

On that cue, daggers made of solid earth formed in the giants' hands. The ones holding gods raised their weapons to the sky and stabbed their captives in the heart. Percy cried out when Polybotes stabbed Poseidon. The god's eyes were filled with pain. _I'm sorry_, he mouthed to Percy. Golden ichor flowed from the gods' wounds and holes opened in the earth to collect it. With each second, Gaea's aura grew brighter.

A red streak flashed overhead. Percy recognized the Marathon's chariot and his heart leapt in his chest. Ryder jumped out and landed in front of the Earth Mother, his blood red sword on fire. A flash of light, and Hephaestus appeared next to the Titan Boy, wielding a colossal, black warhammer.

Without a word, the two engaged Gaea. Gaea summoned two swords from the earth, and met her attackers head on. None of her giants stepped forward to help. _That could mean only one thing_. Percy gulped and his stomach dropped. _They don't think she can lose_. Ryder's flaming blade connected with Gaea's but hers didn't even smolder. He was sent flying backwards. Hephaestus slammed his warhammer into the ground, and an inferno rocketed towards Gaea. Striking her dead center, the force knocked her off balance, but Gaea steadied quickly. The other gods were still bleeding, and Gaea's strength was still increasing, but more slowly.

Percy and Annabeth tried to rush forward to fight, but they found there feet stuck. The earth around them was slowly but surely encasing them. In their fascination with the battle, neither had noticed that the ground was already around their ankles. Percy hacked at the rock with Riptide, but it barely chipped.

_You are fools. The earth will not fall to fire this day._

"How about storm?" Jason flew at Gaea on the back of Tempest, who whinnied a war cry. His blade met the earthen one, and lightning struck the point of impact. Jason was thrown from Tempest, but was quickly on his feet. Gaea fell over, but only laughed as she regained her footing.

Ryder recovered his sword and advanced on Gaea in a line with Jason and Hephaestus. Gaea smiled, and punched the air with her fist. A spire the width of Percy's torso leapt from the ground and impaled Hephaestus in the chest. With another flick of her hand, a stone wall grew up and surrounded Ryder, while smaller spires attacked Hephaestus at his knees, wrists, and neck. His warhammer clattered to the ground. Ichor drenched the black rock. Gaea's laugh pierced Percy's soul.

Panicking, Percy swung his sword again and again at his rock tomb. The ground had risen to the middle of his thigh. Annabeth was busy hacking at her own bonds, but she didn't have any better luck. Percy turned back to see Jason charge Gaea again.

The son of Zeus fought well and hard, but Gaea was too strong, and growing stronger. Still wielding two swords, she soon had Jason on the defensive, and then he was just barely parrying her blows. One of her swords came up and disarmed Jason, while the other punctured his stomach. Jason fell silently, and the ground opened up to greedily devour his body.

Gaea looked at the gods, who were visibly aging as their power was drained. Satisfied, she turned and began walking towards Percy and Annabeth. The closer Gaea got to them, the faster the earth built up around the demigods. Percy's body was covered past his waist now.

"Annabeth, I'm so sorry." The rock around him surged to his chest.

"I love you, Seaweed Brain!" His shoulders were immobilized and he felt cold stone on his neck.

"I love you, Wise Girl!" The rock crept around his chin. Percy couldn't even turn to look at Annabeth one last time.

_I wake!_

The last thing Percy saw before being consumed by the Earth was Gaea opening her eyes, but there were no eyes, only glowing, red orbs of hate.

Percy's eyes shot open. Annabeth was staring at him, her own eyes full of tears. He was shaking and covered in sweat. His arms reached out and pulled Annabeth tightly to his chest. Tears rolled down his cheeks.

"I'm right here, Percy. It was a dream. We're safe. We're together." Annabeth cooed softly.

He felt his heart rate slow down as his body registered he was safe. "It wasn't Tartarus. Gaea – we – you –"

Annabeth stopped him with a quick kiss. "No, don't say it. Don't give it power. It was a nightmare, no more." Her head fell back to his chest.

The demigods lay like that until morning, Percy gently stroking her hair while she slept on his chest. He wouldn't let himself fall back to sleep. There was too much fear lurking in his dreams.

* * *

Clark stood by himself at the bow of the Marathon. The stars glistened brightly, as if they were mocking him. There was no way he would be able to sleep tonight. Fear, anxiety, and sadness were the only things that waited for him in his bed. Clark was afraid that he and his friends were going to die tomorrow, and it would be in vain. Gaea would rise, and everyone he cared about would die. Their civilization would fall, and eternal chaos would consume the planet.

Running tomorrow through a mental simulation of every possible action and outcome had driven him insane as he had tried to sleep. The key to Gaea's defeat continued to elude him, so he tried to escape his thoughts. Hopefully the fresh air would clear his head.

He wasn't wrong, the hopeless thoughts finally left him, only to be filled by painful ones. Clark's heart had fallen into his feet when the war meeting had adjourned earlier in the night. Everyone else had found solace in their significant other, maybe for the last time. Even Dax and Jenni had finally defeated the awkward wall of tension between them. When Jack had run off with Skylar, Clark felt like he had been stabbed with a dagger of ice. Returning to the deck now only reopened that wound. The only other person who'd gone to bed alone was Ryder, but that boy never seemed to be shaken. His inner calm was perpetual, and Clark admired and envied that.

A figure materialized out of the shadows next to him, and Clark jumped backward.

"Relax, Clark, it's just me." Jack was standing next to where Clark had just been, his arms crossed.

"Hades, you very nearly gave me a heart attack." Clark took a few steps toward the other boy.

"Sorry. I couldn't sleep, you?"

"Not a wink." They both leaned over the railing. The air between them buzzed with tension.

"I'm scared, Clark." Jack broke the silence. Clarke didn't know how to respond. "I'm scared of losing what I have, what _we_ have. This family that we've worked so hard to build out of nothing. This ship is my home."

The silence was painful. Comforting other people was never Clark's strength. In fact, emotions in general were not second nature, or third, or fourth for that matter. He opted with honestly.

"I'm afraid too. I just wish we had more answers, or more time to find the answers."

"Hey, I mean, I have faith in us, and in the new guys. Percy and Dax will never give up, and I'll bet my life Annabeth figures out something. The gods will help, I can feel it. I just want everyone to come back alive." Jack turned to look Clarke in the eye, "Listen, man, if anything happens to me tomorrow, you gotta protect Skylar for me, okay? I don't want her to die." Jack's eyes glistened.

Clarke didn't know how to respond. Here was the boy who he had been unofficially been competing with for a girl's heart, asking Clarke to protect said girl. "You know I will."

"No, I've got a bad feeling about my own odds tomorrow. I need you to swear it." Jack's outstretched hand was shaking. "Please?"

"I swear on the Styx." He grasped Jack's hand.

Jack sighed, and his anxiety seemed to flow out of him in that breath, "Thank you. I needed that."

"You said before we were a family here. You were right. There's no need to thank me. We've fought hard to build this, and we'll fight harder before we see it be destroyed."

The son of Apollo's eyes hardened and he nodded. The two stood in an oddly comfortable silence for a long time.

"This kind of makes me miss Panama. At least we didn't have to worry going in. We thought it was going to be taking candy from a baby." Jack thought out loud.

"If that was our expectation then, what's going to happen tomorrow?" Clark mused grimly.

A third voice startled them both. "You can't think like that Clark." Ryder had emerged from the darkness to join them. "Listen, I know this task is daunting and downright terrifying, but if we let fear control us, Gaea's already won." He posted up on the railing between the other two demigods.

"People really need to stop sneaking up on me."

"Clark, I'm sorry again. That was terrifying." They all laughed.

"Hey, I've got a surprise." Ryder reached into his pocket and produced three long, dark cigars. "Either of you ever smoke one of these before?"

"Where did you find cigars? Are those Cubans?" Jack eyed them greedily.

"How did you know to bring three?"

"You both know I can't reveal my secrets. I have my ways." Ryder grinned.

"That's a load of minotaur dung," Jack said as he grabbed a cigar.

Clark took the other, and Ryder ignited one of his fingertips. He quickly lit all three cigars and extinguished his hand. Clark had never smoked before, but didn't want to look bad in front of the others, so he took a large drag, and immediately doubled over in a coughing fit. Jack and Ryder burst out laughing. They quickly taught him how to properly smoke a cigar. Clarke got the hang of it, but his face stayed red with embarrassment for some time.

The cigars were well made, and burned well into the night. The three heroes stood together in place on the railing for hours, even after the last cigar went out. The sun rose, and it was well worth the wait. Orange slowly peeked over the distant mountains and lit up the clouds and country. Clark smiled. He was just glad he didn't have to spend what might turn out to be the last night of his life alone. Looking at the others, he knew they felt the same way.


	11. Rally Cap

**A/N: I own nothing.**

**Sorry this is so short, the next chapter will be too long/detailed to smoosh them together. Enjoy!**

**Rally Cap**

While everyone else slept, or at least tried to, Keenan's workshop was buzzing with activity. Quickly, the boys threw together two simple automatons, who would run around the workshop and collect any materials they requested.

A number of projects were started, scrapped, and completed over the course of the night. The ballistae were upgraded to fire projectiles faster and more accurately. A new mechanism also sped up the reloading time.

That was completed in the first hour, and since then Leo had been focusing on the behemoth of scrap and gears in the center of the workspace. Keenan helped when he could, but Leo barely spoke as his hands molded and pieced together his contraption. The other boy went about finishing his own projects.

Neither boy had any concept of how much time had passed since they had started working. Leo only needed another hour to finish his machine, and then he could nap, if there was time. He had refused to allow fatigue to affect him. When Leo had finally felt his eyelids start to get heavy, he had run to the mess hall and risked drinking coffee. Luckily, he was so zoned into his task the caffeine didn't make his ADHD too much more unbearable.

"Rise and shine, people. Everyone meet on the deck. We are almost there." Dax's voice echoed from the intercom.

"Hades," Leo threw his hammer to the ground, frustrated, "I only need a little more time!"

Keenan walked over to his brother and helped him to his feet, "It's alright. I can help after we talk to the others." He motioned to his side of the workbench. "I finished the backpack. You can wear it during the fight if you want."

Leo walked over and inspected Keenan's contraption. What looked like a school kid's backpack rested on the bench, but Leo almost dropped it after trying to lift it. Inside, Keenan had explained, were expandable wings.

"It's awesome, Keegs. Why don't you wear it? You built it."

His brother laughed, "I would, but I'm afraid of heights."

Leo's mouth fell open, "You've lived on a flying ship your whole life, and you're afraid of heights? I'm not sure if it's brave or stupid."

Keenan laughed a little harder. "Me neither. Come on, they're waiting."

"You're right." Leo turned to the automatons, "Reggie and Charlie, I want you guys to build more automatons, enough to fly the ship and fire the cannons while the rest of us fight. When you're done, get the rest of my parts."

The robots didn't respond, but took off into the maze of shelves to gather parts. The pair of demigods hurried down an aisle. Keenan yawned and Leo punched his arm. "You're not tired, Keegs. You can't be great and be tired."

Percy and Annabeth walked with Dax to where Ryder, Jack, and Clark were standing at the bow. When they got close, Percy's nose wrinkled. The three demigods reeked of smoke.

Dax sighed, "What did you three do now?"

They all shared a confused glance. "You smell like smoke." Percy explained.

"It's foul." Annabeth added.

This was apparently hilarious to the three in question, because they burst out laughing. "Don't worry, guys. We didn't set anything on fire. It's nothing."

Dax shook his head, deciding the real reason wasn't worth the words, and turned back to the stairs. Percy saw his eyes light up and a small smile appear on Dax's face when Jenni emerged from the staircase with Skylar.

"Wipe that stupid grin off your face, Wonder Boy. We're going to battle not prom." Percy whispered to Dax.

Ryder heard him and stepped closer, "So, Dax, you finally finished what I interrupted that day?"

Both demigods were splashed with water, but Dax's grin hadn't faded. Immediately behind the two girls were Jason and Piper, who were in turn followed closely by Leo and Keenan.

Skylar went to stand next to Jack. After smelling the smoke, she frowned and whispered something in his ear. Jack smiled but didn't answer. Piper stood next to Percy and the two of them watched Dax and Jenni smile goofily at each other, forgetting everyone else could see.

Percy smiled. "Good job, Percy. I thought I was fighting a one-sided." Piper commented.

"Well, what can I say, I guess I'm pretty good at this." He smiled smugly.

Annabeth heard their exchange and joined in, "Oh yeah, Seaweed Brain? How long did it take you to ask me out again?" Piper laughed with Annabeth while Percy scowled.

Jenni tried to discreetly slip her hand into Dax's, but the other three and Ryder caught them. Piper squealed, causing Dax to turn bright red. They were saved from further embarrassment when a thump shook the deck behind Percy. Everyone spun to watch Hazel slide down off a dragon's back. Frank shifted back to human form and the couple walked over.

"Really sorry we're late!"

"Don't worry about it, we haven't even started." Dax, whose face had returned to a normal color, turned to address everyone, "We'll be at Olympus in an hour."

Percy wrapped his arm in a sail line and climbed up onto the bow railing. "This is going to be the hardest battle we ever fight. Gaea's going to throw everything she has at us. The fourteen of us have to hold out until our reinforcements arrive."

Dax climbed onto the railing next to his brother, "Luckily, it's the fourteen most powerful demigods in the world. Once we free Nico and Thalia, we have to focus entirely on Gaea and her giants. Let the others deal with the monsters. Listen, we didn't ask to be here, we didn't ask for the fate of the world to be in our hands, but I'd rather take that weight than pass it off to anybody else. Gaea wants to make a big show of breaking us. She wants the world to see the best fall. I won't let her break my family. Let's go show Gaea, _and_ our parents, what a big fight is all about."

"FOR OLYMPUS!" Everyone yelled together. As the chants died out, a chill crept up Percy's spine. He shuddered and saw Dax do the same.

_Gaea knows you are close. This way, they will not see you until it is too late. I will cover your friends approach as well. Fight bravely. I cannot help you further until the end._

The voice that echoed in Percy's head nearly gave him a stroke. It was as cold as mountain air, and ancient. It sounded as old as Gaea's voice, but wasn't menacing and evil. Dax met Percy's gaze. _Later_, he mouthed. They were the only two who heard it. Looking past his brother, Percy saw clouds converge on the ship. No one could see through the cloud. _Which means no one can see in either_. Percy smiled warily. He prayed a silent thanks to their guardian angel, whoever it was_. I hope this isn't a trick. Things are always too good to be true._

Everyone else noticed the cloud cover. "Well, that's not ominous at all." Jack volunteered.

"Okay, everybody, make any last minute preparations you need. Meet back here in no later than forty-five minutes." Ryder stepped forward.

"Uh, our final project might take a little more time." Keenan hastily spat.

"Ya, we only need another hour, then BOOM goes Gaea." Leo added.

Percy liked the sound of that. Hopefully the two boys had thrown together something really good. "Okay, just finish as fast as possible. We'll need you two and your project out there."

Quickly, all but a few left the bow. There was a busy, but nervous atmosphere dangling over the ship. Percy turned to study the cloud more intensely. Visibility was practically zero. It actually looked solid, but floated too far away for Percy to test his theory.

Dax turned to him, "Do you have any idea _what_ that was?"

"Not a clue."

"What are you two talking about?" Percy and Dax didn't realize Annabeth and Ryder hadn't left them alone. Quickly, they explained to the other two about the voice and its gift.

"I don't like this, Percy. Nothing ever comes without a price." Annabeth said.

"Well, who can control clouds?" Ryder thought aloud, "It definitely wasn't Zeus, based on your description, and Ouranus is long dead. There was no Titan of the sky to replace their father."

"It doesn't matter. We can keep thinking about it, but there are bigger fish to fry." Dax answered. "We'll deal with the mystery sky guy _if_ he shows up."

The other three agreed and went off to prepare for what would probably be their last battle, one way or another.


	12. Oaths, Traps, and Natural Disasters

**A/N: I own nothing. Thanks for waiting, the war beings now!**

**Oaths, Traps, and Natural Disasters**

An hour later, twelve armored demigods stood on the deck. Leo and Keenan had not emerged from the depths of the workshop, but the others were content to give them time. The Greeks and Romans were outfitted in their traditional bronze armor, but the Marathon heroes were flashy. Dax and Jenni stood side by side in their red chariot. Dax wore matte black armor while Jenni wore pink. Ryder was decked out in blood red armor. In one hand, he held his crimson sword, but attached to his other hip was a red whip with a black handle. Hopefully that could be ignited too.

The son of Apollo donned gold armor with white designs. He had a golden bow strapped to his back and a chrome dagger on his hip. Next to him stood Skylar, who wore brilliant white armor that matched her hair. She looked like a goddess. Clark had resumed pacing in a circle, twirling a sword that matched his silver armor.

"What, are you guys the Power Rangers or something?" Jason asked.

"Yeah, if you guys had told us style points counted, we'd have picked out our outfits last night." Percy added. "That's alright, Jason. They're just overcompensating for fighting skill."

"Fine. If we're overcompensating, Percy, _you_ can kill the first giant, on your own." Dax shot back with a wink.

"Not fair." Percy grumbled.

_The time has come. I hope you are as ready as your words make you appear, sons of the sea._

Dax and Percy shared a glance. The voice sounded a bit more evil than last time. The bow broke through the clouds, and the demigods saw the real Mount Olympus. The mountain was enormous, stretching tall and wide. It was summer, so the forests on its slopes were full and green. A small town had been built at its base. Just outside the town, Percy saw fires and figures of all sizes shuffling about.

"Looks like some of Gaea's monsters."

"Not too many, maybe a hundred. It looks like we surprised them." Frank observed. Dax and Percy looked at each other again.

"Don't get cocky. Let's go kill them." Jason said as he grabbed Piper by the waist and leapt into the winds.

"HIYAAA!" Dax yelled as Ryder and Clark jumped into the back of the chariot. The twin black pegasi took off.

The other five heroes climbed aboard Frank the dragon and took to the skies. "Please keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times. In case of an emergency, oxygen masks will deploy from the wings. If an emergency landing must be made over water, please allow Percy to –"

"Shut up, Jack!" Annabeth yelled over the winds. Hazel and Skylar laughed. Percy was too busy hanging onto Frank for dear life. Flying terrified children of the sea. Zeus and Poseidon's rivalry practically ingrained the fear into his DNA.

From the ground below, a horn sounded and the blurry figures in the distance started moving much faster. Quickly, they closed the distance to the town. Frank descended long enough for his friends to get off his back, and then flapped his wings toward a pack of hell hounds, who evaporated into dust after being burned by dragon breath.

After being taken by surprise, many of the monsters had run back into the town to take cover and regroup. The heroes quickly mopped up the stragglers. They advanced down the main street, where a group of telkhines ambushed them, but were easily defeated.

The town was small, and quaint, with old architecture. No residents were anywhere to be found, and Percy shuddered thinking about what the monsters did with them. It didn't take long for the group to reach the central plaza. In the middle, two small scaffolds of earth rose from a dry fountain. The Greeks and Romans gasped. Nico and Thalia were chained at the scaffolds, their heads hanging.

Before anyone could move, a roar erupted from another side street. The rest of the monsters swarmed the plaza. Behind them, a massive form lumbered forward, drawing Percy's attention. The Minotaur, his old enemy, was glaring hungrily at him and his friends.

"_You_! Why is it _always_ you?" Percy sighed, "Guys, kill the others and get Thalia and Nico. This one's mine." Percy and the Minotaur charged at the same time. Annabeth wasn't far behind him, wielding her ivory sword.

After learning from his first two defeats, the minotaur elected to outmuscle Percy instead of charging him. The massive battle axe swept towards Percy, who deflected it, but barely. His enemy was incredibly strong.

Diving under the next strike, Percy slashed Riptide and caught the Minotaur in the thigh. His opponent bellowed, but more out of rage than pain. Percy rolled out of the way of the next attack, but wasn't close enough to counter. The Minotaur roared louder.

_He's angry_. _Good_. Percy turned and ran towards the nearest building. He burst through the doorway of what looked like an antiques shop. Turning around, Percy watched the Minotaur charge at full speed towards him. The bull-man crashed into the shop without stopping, which brought part of the roof down.

Percy dove out of the way of falling plaster and approached his enemy. The confined space of the shop would limit the Minotaur's wide range of motion and strength. _Wow, maybe Annabeth is rubbing off on me. _

The Minotaur swung upward with his axe but it rebounded off the ceiling. Frustrated, he dropped his weapon and tried to crush Percy with his beefy hands. _Perfect_. Percy dodged the next punch and raised Riptide, but before he could finish the job, the Minotaur whimpered in pain and disintegrated.

Annabeth stepped through the golden cloud proudly. "I couldn't let you have all the fun, Seaweed Brain. Come on!"

The couple sprinted back to the plaza to help, but their friends had it under control. Dax and Ryder took down a Hyperborean giant while the last few dracaenas retreated. In a golden flash, Jack cut them down with his dagger and returned to Skylar's side. _Hades, he's fast_.

Without breaking stride, Percy and Annabeth ran past their friends to the fountain. Percy cursed as Riptide bounced harmlessly off the earthen scaffold. Everyone else's weapons clattered harmlessly against it, even after Ryder ignited his sword. The captive demigods remained unconscious.

"You cannot free them now." A deep voice said from behind them. Porphyrion stood at the plaza entrance, his back to the grasslands. "Surrender and your deaths will be painless."

Dax stepped forward. "Why don't you and your brothers come out now, so we can kill you and get it over with." His lips twisted into a sneer.

Porphyrion's voice darkened. "You may have found a way to surprise the demons we had placed here, but you forget that the Earth Mother can move anything that touches her."

The ground began to shake and the buildings around the giant king started to crumble. Behind him for miles, small sinkholes began forming in the ground. Soon, monsters were thrown out of the holes, which then closed up.

"There must be at least ten- ten- ten-" Jack stammered, trying to count the enemies.

"Well, you're not wrong." Dax replied grimly. When the ground stopped shaking, thousands of monsters had spawned in front of the heroes. Percy noticed that a thick line of clouds had formed in the sky. He smiled.

Porphyrion laughed. "Destroy _all_ these monsters, Mutt, and only then you will have the honor of dying at the hands of my brothers."

"Well, it's a good thing our friends showed up on time for the party." Percy offered.

The giant king laughed, but abruptly stopped when he realized Percy wasn't bluffing. Turning around, he looked on in horror as ships began to poke through the clouds and descend. Ballistae fired and monsters disintegrated. Dragons and griffins took to the air by the hundreds to counter the ships.

"I do not understand the magic you disguised you're ships with, but I assure you it will not be enough. We will see you soon." Porphyrion scowled as he flashed away.

"Shall we?" Dax raised an eyebrow at Percy.

"Ladies first." Percy bowed slightly.

"Okay!" Annabeth and Piper ran ahead of them, followed by Jason, Skylar, and Clark. Jack went supersonic and tore into the monster ranks, leaving nothing but golden dust in his wake.

Dax and Jenni ran back to their chariot and Jenni grabbed the reins.

"Hey, shouldn't the guy be driving? You know, chivalry and stuff." Percy called after them.

"I think chivalry goes out the window when the _guy_ can kill giants." Jenni replied.

"That really was not your best joke. Come on!" Ryder and Percy charged after their friends.

The twelve heroes burst through the monster lines, but there were simply too many to fight. A lightning strike from Jason slaughtered a dozen telkines. Hazel launched slate through a Laestrygonian giant's face. Ryder's flaming whip cracked, sending ten hellhounds to Tartarus. The Flotilla's ballistae cut through hundreds, but for every monster that fell, two stepped up to replace it.

Dax and Jenni's chariot came in low so he could swipe at the heads of taller monsters. A Hyperborean spotted them and launched a massive piece of rock into their path. Jenni saw it at the last second and yanked on the reins, which probably saved their lives, but not the chariot's. The boulder crashed into the bottom and ripped off both wheels. One of the lines securing the horses snapped, and the chariot fell into a cluster of monsters.

"Jason, Frank, go get them! Jack give them some cover." Percy yelled as he attacked another telkhine legion. He couldn't even see half of their squad anymore. Only Ryder, Piper, and Annabeth were still by his side, and they were totally surrounded. "Ryder, Piper, you guys find Skylar and Clark. We are too deep. Fall back to the fountain."

Ryder cleared a path for them with his whip. As soon as the two passed through, monsters closed the gap. Percy and Annabeth were alone, fighting back to back, just like in his dream.

* * *

Clark had quickly lost track of most of his friends in the sea of monsters. Occasionally, the chariot would streak overhead or Ryder would send a large ball of flame into the air. Besides that, he, Skylar, and Jack had no idea which direction to even try to move.

The three fought well in tandem. Jack kept larger monsters at a distance with arrows and dispatched any that got too close with his dagger. Skylar did an excellent job of confusing the enemy with her magic, oftentimes causing them to attack each other or walk directly into Clark's blade. Clark himself was able to make short work of most of the monsters. Without thinking, Clark saw his opponents' next three moves before they did, and was able to cut them down.

The Marathon's chariot flew low overhead. Clark heard a crunch followed by Jenni screaming and Percy calling for help.

"I'll be right back guys. Find Percy." Jack said and started to run towards the chariot.

A Hyperborean stepped into his path and growled at them. Jack smiled, then ran straight up the giant's front, notched two arrows, and let them fly into its throat. Before the monster disintegrated, Jack leapt off its head and brought his dagger down on a dracaena. Then he was gone in a golden flash.

Skylar and Clark started to fight in the direction that they'd last heard Percy's voice, but it was harder now. Skylar was never good with hand to hand combat, and Clark wasn't skilled enough to take on all the monsters by himself while watching her back. Luckily, brief flames cast by Ryder led them in the right direction. Clark could hear Piper calling out for them.

A hellhound pounced from Clark's right, and he gutted it midair. He turned to see an empousai ready to claw Skylar. _No_. Clark lunged with his blade and caught the demon in the chest. With a cry, she evaporated.

A cry escaped Clark's lips as a burning pain erupted from his side. He hadn't seen the other empousai. She extracted her dagger and prepared to finish him off. Clark's side was on fire, but he swung up with his sword and decapitated her, before collapsing.

Skylar cried out and rushed to him. _So_, this_ is how I die. Well, it could be worse_. Monsters closed in around them. A hellhound eyed the pair hungrily, before being consumed by an inferno. Clark turned his head to see Ryder scorch every monster within a hundred yards. Piper and Skylar each grabbed one of his arms and followed the path Ryder burned for them.

"Fall back to the fountain!" Ryder yelled. The monsters focused entirely on him, but between his whip, sword and flames, none got close. Clark had never been more grateful to someone in his entire life.

Each time one of the girls accidently stepped in a hole, pain flew up his side. _This is odd. I shouldn't have this much pain from one stab wound_, Clark mused as he blacked out.

* * *

Clark woke up when Frank less than gently put him down with his back to the inner edge of the fountain. He was lightheaded and his entire body hurt. Frank leapt back over the fountain to be replaced by Jack, Skylar, and Percy.

"You idiot. Why'd you go and get stabbed?" Jack asked as he ripped off Clark's breastplate.

Clark coughed, "I promised you I would protect my family." Jack paused to smile gratefully at him. Percy ripped off Clark's undershirt.

"Oh no."

Lifting his head to look, Clark saw his wound, and his heart sank. The gash was deep and bleeding, but the worst part was that the skin around the opening had turned a sickly green. _Poison_. Skylar's eyes were teary. Movement distracted Clark, and his eyes focused on the scaffolds behind his medics.

"Percy… she's awake." Clark raised his hand to point behind the son of Poseidon.

Percy spun around. "Thalia! Jack…"

"Go!" Percy practically jumped up to run to his old friend. Clark could hear the sounds of battle getting closer.

Jack turned back to the injured boy, "Clark…" but he was too choked up to continue.

Wincing, Clark reached out and grabbed Jack's arms. "Jack, it's okay. No matter what, just protect our family."

Skylar was openly crying now. Even Jack allowed a few tears. "No! You're _not_ dying on me now."

"Yes, I am. Please don't make this harder."

"I'm so sorry." Skylar buried her face in Jack's chest.

Clark smiled as he closed his eyes.

* * *

_An oath to keep with a final breath_. As sad as that was, Percy hoped deep down that was the conclusion of three of the four parts of the Prophecy of Seven. Percy didn't think his heart could take any more surprises.

As Percy jumped up from where they had laid Clark, he surveyed the battlefield in front of him. The rest of his friends were beating back wave after wave of monsters, but they were slowly being pushed back. Thankfully, Percy looked out into the grasslands and saw hundreds of demigod warriors streaming out of landed Flotilla ships to attack the monster army. _That will take some heat off of us_.

Quickly, he called out to Annabeth and ran over to Thalia. He fell to his knees and cradled her face in his hands. "Hey Pinecone Face, how are you feeling?"

Thalia's eyes fluttered open. "Weak. Stupid, Kelp Head, it's a trap!"

"Oh gods, Percy, look at your arm!" Annabeth and Jason stood behind him.

Looking down at his arm, Percy realized he had been wounded in the fight. A long gash had opened on his right forearm and blood was flowing from it. Percy tracked the trail of blood as it left his arm and fell to the ground, where it was absorbed into the rock.

"Gaea will rise when the blood of Olympus is spilled." Dax had joined their small group.

They all turned and looked at the battlefield as the demigod army crashed into the monster lines. Amazons drove forklifts into gorgons, the Roman eagle launched thunder at giants, Greek chariots ran over hellhounds, but each fallen hero strengthened Gaea.

"We need a distraction. Something that will let us regroup and come up with a plan." Percy said.

"I have an idea, but it's going to hurt." Dax offered. When no one offered another option, he continued, "Alright, Jason, Percy, come with –"

The Marathon's shadow encompassed the gathered demigods and a large hatch in its hull opened. A huge form fell from the opening and crashed in front of the fountain. Leo and Keenan walked towards them as the dust settled, revealing their final project.

"Sorry we're late. I want you all to meet the new and improved Festus." Leo bowed.

The monstrosity stood at least twelve feet tall and was as wide as the Minotaur. Festus' head sat atop a body of off color and mismatching parts. Festus creaked and oil leaked out of its knee.

"Leo, its…" Percy began but couldn't find the right words.

"Ugly, for starters." Dax said without compassion.

"Hey, if you wanted it to be pretty, you should've put Beauty Queen in charge. He totally kicks monster butt, so shut up!"

"Didn't Festus, you know, blow up? And what's on your head?" Percy asked eloquently.

"We recovered him before we rescued you." Leo pointed at his head and grinned, "Oh, this? This is my rally cap, like in baseball. It is the ninth inning after all. Don't worry, we reinforced them with some metal."

Leo wore thin bronze armor, but on his head was something that at one point looked like a baseball hat. Keenan wore one too. The hats were inside out and covered in grease, with huge sweat marks. Leo looked at all of his friends and saw defeat written on their faces.

"What did I miss?"

Quickly they explained Clark's death and Gaea's trap.

Leo rolled his eyes. "Oh that's it? _All_ we have to do is try even harder not to die."

"Enough talking! Jason, Percy, we need to go now! Leo we could use you too. The rest of you guard the fountain." Dax said.

"Let's go." Annabeth said.

"Annabeth –"

"Seaweed Brain, do you think that I'm going to let you go into the middle of a monster army without me? Don't make me kick your butt in front of your friends. That offer extends to _all_ sons of Poseidon." She glared at Dax, who swallowed nervously.

"Okay, let's go then."

The five of them ran over to Ryder. Quickly, they explained to him and the others about Clark and the blood on the ground. Everyone looked horrified.

"It's okay, I have a plan. Ryder, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Dax said.

"Oh gods. You remember we slept for a week after last time?"

"It's fine. Leo, Percy, and Jason will help out. It'll be easier."

"Wait! Dax, you're talking about Panama, aren't you?" Jenni looked like she was about cry.

He walked over and grabbed her hands. "It won't be anything like last time. I promise." Dax kissed her and ran towards the army before she could stop him. The other five charged after him.

With only one thought in mind, the six heroes plowed through the army without breaking a sweat. Monsters exploded as flames, water, and lightning scattered their ranks. Jason rose into the air and stopped them when they reached the middle of the monster ocean.

"Now what?" Percy asked.

"We are going to summon a tornado of fire and water. Percy, I need you to help me call every ounce of water up from the ground and out of the air. Leo, summon whatever fire you can with Ryder. Jason, spin the winds as fast as you can and add some lightning to the water. Annabeth, hang onto something."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Percy concentrated with all his might as he felt Annabeth tightly wrap her arms around his waist. The wind started to pick up and whip at his face. The air heated up around him, but the water wouldn't come. Percy closed his eyes and prayed. _Dad, if you're listening, please, help us. This is our only chance._

Nothing happened, but Percy concentrated harder. He opened his eyes and saw fire leap into the air in front of Leo and Ryder. The winds were spinning the flames into a spiral.

"Come on, Percy!" Dax yelled over the wind.

In his gut, Percy felt a familiar tug as he sensed all the water in the area rush towards them. Percy willed the water upwards, and the ground around them split apart. Water reached hundreds of feet into the air and stayed up. Fire leapt up to join it. Slowly, the winds picked up in intensity and lightning struck the walls of their storm. The vortex spun faster and faster.

"Push!"

Percy willed the water to go away from them and destroy the monsters. He felt Annabeth's grip tighten around his waist, which strengthened him. Percy pushed with all his power, and the vortex exploded.


	13. ARRRRGGGGGHHHH

**A/N: I own nothing. Please please pelase review! Thanks!**

**ARRRRGGGGGHHHH**

"ARRRRGGGGGHHHH!" cried Travis and Connor Stoll together as their chariot smashed into a hellhound and Connor's spear impaled a gryphon.

Shortly after Nico di Angelo had made a timely appearance with the Athena Parthenos to avoid a bloodbath on Half Blood Hill, the Flotilla had arrived. The so-called council leaders had told them all the details of the Flotilla, and of the Marathon's rescue of their friends. It was an impossibly tall tale, but it's hard to ignore people with big canons and bigger ships.

The flagship, where the campers had been living during their journey across the Atlantic, alone carried enough firepower and soldiers to take out the Greeks and Romans easily. _That_ ship was twenty times as big as the next biggest ship, which was still three times the size of the Argo II.

The Stoll brothers were heartbroken to hear about the destruction of Leo's masterpiece. They had become good friends with the little Fire Dude, and knew that he would take it hard. Leo would definitely want revenge, and the Stolls had every intention of helping him.

So when the Flotilla arrived, the Stolls were surprisingly one of the first cabin leaders to start getting ready for war. They had redesigned the chariot they used for the annual races from a speed demon to a war machine. Even their horses were now armored. The only cabin that was ready for war before the Hermes cabin had been Ares. Even Athena's kids hadn't moved as quick, and they needed to find Annabeth.

No, everyone needed to find Percy and Annabeth, especially the Stolls. After Connor had received their message from Tartarus, Travis and Connor were hell bent on helping their friends. Percy and Annabeth had gotten the two brothers out of more trouble than everyone else put together, even Chiron, and now was their chance to return the favor.

All of these reasons and so many others, including the potential end of their civilization, echoed gloriously in that war cry.

"Whoa, bro, stop." Connor said to Travis, who was doing his best to keep the chariot from flipping with every sharp turn.

"I'm just getting started. Yeehaw!" Travis cried back as another hellhound crunched beneath their spiked wheels.

"No, _look_!"

Travis actually looked around the battlefield for the first time in minutes and realized both monsters and demigods had stopped fighting. Everyone was entranced by something in the middle of the monster army. Travis slowed the horses to a stop and turned to look.

In the center of the army a column of fire rose up to meet a storm cloud hundreds of feet in the air. Travis's jaw dropped. The earth shook and thousands of gallons of water burst from the ground to join the fire in the sky. Travis smiled. There was only one demigod he knew who could do anything even close to that.

Slowly, the columns of water and fire spun around and around in a beautiful circle, while it expanded and sucked up monsters. Soon, the storm was like a hurricane on fire, blasting anything in its path. Everyone outside the immediate blast area stood still in awe. Then everyone was in the blast area.

The tornado exploded outward in all directions. Every monster for a square mile was vaporized instantly and hundreds more drowned and burned. The concussion wave knocked gryphons out of the sky and heavily buffeted the nearest Flotilla ships. Connor fell out the back of the chariot but Travis held on.

When the dust settled, there were only a few hundred monsters left in a ring around a scorched grassland. A cry went up from every demigod present. The monsters broke ranks and ran, and most of the demigods gave chase, but not Travis. In the center of the grassland, Travis could make out a few figures moving around. Some had fallen to the ground. He was sure those were his friends. Travis coaxed everything he could out of the horses and charged. Connor was clinging to his the back for dear life.

Clarisse and Chris Rodriguez's chariot fell in line next to them, followed by Reyna and Octavian's. That rat still gave Travis the creeps, but he'd let Percy straighten him out. Will Solace and Malcolm rode in another chariot while Rachel Dare sat atop Chiron's back. The rag-tag band of demigods, a centaur, and an oracle quickly closed the gap.

Looking across the clearing, Travis saw a black dragon carrying another group of demigods toward the center. A golden streak ran under its shadow.

Everyone arrived at the same time to see Percy kneeling on the ground, while Annabeth held him. A boy with gold eyes and red armor had one arm draped around Leo's shoulder and another around Jason. Leo and Jason looked like they needed a nap, or a cup of coffee, or both. Another boy with black hair and grey eyes watched the newcomers suspiciously. _The Mutt_. Just about everyone on the Flotilla had something to say about that boy, and Travis had gotten more than enough information to be wary of him, but if he had helped build that storm he was alright in Travis' book.

The black dragon landed, deposited its passengers, a boy and four girls, including Piper, and then transformed into a large boy in Roman armor. _Frank, the guy Nico talked about_. The golden streak slowed down when it approached. Travis realized that it was another boy, running impossibly fast.

"Whoa, did you see that?" Connor said.

"Oh yeah. We'll have to borrow him when this is all done." The brothers shared a mischievous smile.

One of the girls, who was blond and absolutely stunning, made a beeline for the Mutt. She stopped in front of him with her mouth hanging open, unable to find the right words. Then she kissed him deeply, before stepping back and delivering a wicked slap right to his face. "Don't ever do that again, Dax!" Most of the demigods in attendance started to laugh when Dax staggered from the blow.

"Ow! Hey! It worked didn't it?"

She wound up and hit him again. "You never learn, do you?" Dax grinned sheepishly at her. Travis could actually make out a red handprint on his cheek.

"Don't worry, Jenni, they learn quickly that you're always right. _Right_, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth said. The girls laughed when Percy, Jason, and Frank grumbled.

Annabeth realized that her old friends were standing right behind them, watching the scene. "Oh my gods. Travis! Connor!" Percy and Annabeth tackled them in a bear hug. "Thank you so much. If you hadn't gotten our message – if you thought it was a joke –"

Travis started to laugh. "Come on, Annabeth, we know you only joke at Percy's expense. We're glad we could help."

The four demigods untangled themselves and stood up. Reyna was next on the list to be tackled, followed by Clarisse, to her dismay. Malcolm warmly hugged his little sister and Percy introduced his old friends to his new ones.

Travis and Connor made a beeline for the golden boy. He spotted them and walked over. "I assume you're the Stolls?"

The brothers bowed, "Travis and Connor at your service."

"I'm Jack." He said while extending his hand. "Leo's told me a lot about you. I'm a big fan of your work."

Beaming with pride, they both shook Jack's hand. "We could use your –"

"Okay, everyone, we need to get back to the fountain and come up with a plan." Dax interrupted.

"Wait, there's _more_?" Octavian cried.

Dax narrowed his eyes at the Roman. "Seriously? For starters, we still have to kill the giants."

By now, the demigod army had finished off the fleeing monsters and was turning towards the group in the center. Quickly, the heroes squeezed into chariots and onto Frank and flew back to the little town.

* * *

As soon as the chariot reached the plaza, Percy was running back to his captured cousins, who were both fully awake.

"Kelp Head, you can't get us out of here. I heard pieces of the giants' conversation. Only Gaea can let us go, or some Olympian has to help, but they haven't shown up yet." Thalia spat at her feet. Nico remained silent and didn't meet Percy's gaze.

Everyone had gathered around the fountain. The army had orders to set up a defensive perimeter around the town while the Flotilla's ships hovered overhead. For the first time, Percy was able to study the Flotilla. There were twenty ships in all, and they were enormous. The Marathon was clearly the smallest, and the Argo II would have been a close second. Percy spotted cruisers and destroyers, but the most incredible ship was what Dax had called the flagship. At least half of the fleet could have fit inside the hull. Ballistae bristled along the deck and from openings in the hull. Percy whistled.

While he was admiring the fleet, Dax explained to the Greek, Roman, and council leaders about Gaea's trap. Unfortunately, they still had no plan to defeat Gaea or enlist Olympian help. Percy shook himself out of the trance and returned to the group.

A boy wearing a long, green cape stood in front of Dax. "The council is disappointed in your lack of progress. We expected a better plan by now."

"Lack of _progress_?" Jason boomed, "We just saved your –"

"Listen, Tyler, we've done everything we could. All you have to do is make sure the ships are ready to defend this position. Let _us_ worry about Gaea and the giants." Dax hissed.

Tyler's expression soured. "We should not have trusted your seer's vision. We could have survived–"

In a flash, Jack was inches from the council leader's face. "Our seer's name was Clark, and he died for that _lack of progress_. Go back to your ship and run. You know what will happen? You survive for a while before Gaea gets bored and destroys you. You stay and fight and we might just win, but we _will_ do it without you if we have to." His hands shot forward and knocked Tyler to the ground. "The Greeks, Romans, and the Marathon will be here fighting. Now if you'll excuse us, the _real_ heroes have a war to win."

Tyler's face was contorted with rage and embarrassment, but mostly with fear. Percy saw in that expression a scared, cornered boy who didn't see a way out. When people were forced into a corner, they either tried to fight their way out, or broke down and let themselves die. The council leader needed some encouragement if they were going to keep the flagship's aid.

Percy stepped over the fountains edge and pointed to the gathered army. "Tyler, you may want to try to survive, but Jack's right, it's only a matter of time. Besides, your soldiers don't want to leave. They've lost friends and family, and they want blood, but they do need support. That comes from you and the council, their leaders." Percy helped Tyler to his fight. "Please, I know it's terrifying, but fighting is the only _real_ option any of us have."

With a defeated expression on his face, the council leader nodded, returned to his pegasi, and flew back towards the flagship. Jack clapped Percy on the back.

"Thanks, Percy. I shouldn't have gone off on him."

"It's alright. For the record, he totally deserved it." Percy smiled, but Jack didn't return it.

"Guys, you need to see this!" Frank called from the fountain.

The crowd of demigods turned to watch the earthen scaffolds holding Nico and Thalia retreat slowly into the ground, leaving the two unharmed. Annabeth sprinted forward and caught Thalia before she fell. Nico tried to stand on his own, and Jason steadied him when he stumbled.

Dax didn't miss a beat. "Jack, run to the front and see if anything's happened."

The other boy disappeared in a golden flash. "That never gets old." Percy heard Travis whisper to his brother, who snickered.

Percy and Annabeth helped Thalia to her feet. "Thanks guys, but this is bad. I told you, only Gaea or a god can release us –"

"Which means Gaea no longer needs to sap your energy." Ryder piped up. He had been oddly quiet since the vortex exploded.

Jack reappeared in the middle of the fountain, wheezing. Everyone waited patiently for him to catch his breath, the tension mounting. "Guys, Gaea is walking around in front of the army. She wants to talk to us."


	14. The Mother of all Sinkholes

**A/N: I own nothing. Sorry it's short, didn't want to try to cram in too much. Review please and enjoy!**

**The Mother of All Sinkholes**

No one had spoken after Jack delivered the news. Quietly, but quickly, the heroes had piled into the chariots and sped away. Thalia and Nico naturally insisted on coming along. For all his ugliness, Festus was able to keep up with long strides.

"Move! Get out of the way!" Dax yelled.

The demigod army was transfixed on whatever it was in front of them. Yelling seemed to be the only way to shake them out of their trance. Even then, the chariots were tough to maneuver in the crowd, so Percy and Dax elected to proceed on foot.

Percy was terrified. Gaea wanted to talk to them, in front of their whole army. Dax had been right, the Earth Mother wanted to make a really big show of destroying them. _Anytime now, guys_, Percy prayed to his divine family.

"Brother!" Tyson ambushed Percy near the front. Percy thought his ribs would break when Tyson hugged him.

"Hey, Tyson. Good to see you. Listen we've got a big problem."

"I know. Dirt Lady asks for you. Speedy boy goes to get you. Now you are here. Let's pound dirt!" He raised his club, and a legion of Cyclops warriors behind him bellowed. Tyson settled down and pointed to Dax, "Who's that?"

"This is Dax. He's our brother too." Dax braced himself for the hug.

"Other brother!" Tyson stopped hugging Dax and inspected him, "But your eyes… are like Annabeth's?"

"Uh, yeah, well, I'm Annabeth's brother too."

Tyson looked confused to the point of pain. "Daddy… and Athena? Oh."

Percy needed to speed this up. "Tyson, let's go talk to the Dirt Lady. We don't have much time." The three of them pushed past the last few rows of warriors and fell in line with the other chariots. Annabeth, Jenni, and Ryder climbed down and stood with them.

The army behind them was vast and deep. Greek, Roman, and Flotilla soldiers assembled in the thousands. Confidence flowed through Percy for the first time all day.

Before them, the scorched and trampled grassland stretched for miles. About ten feet in front of them, only one figure stood. Gaea, in all her dirt body glory, took a few steps toward them. Her eyes remained closed.

_Heroes of Olympus, I thank you for offering yourselves as a sacrifice. Your blood will allow me to fully wake. Before the day is over, I will have my revenge. _

"No one's being sacrificed today, Gaea. You've lost." Dax said.

_Fool, you do not understand. After the Doors of Death were closed, I was forced to _alter_ my plans. You are right, I weakened the ancient magic, but only in this location. The closer you sailed to here, the more your precious protection failed._

"_So_?" Leo yelled.

_Leo Valdez, you would be wise to watch how you speak to me now that I determine how you will die. Daughter of Athena, tell your friends how that hole had formed under Arachne's cave._

Annabeth's eyes grew wide with horror. "All the hatred of all the beings in Tartarus ate away at the barrier, trying to get to the Athena Parthenos." Her voice quivered.

_Yes, and can you imagine how much hatred boils beneath the roots of the gods? Much, much more than beneath the Parthenos. The ancient magic is strongest here, but it only takes a little push. The power I drained from your two friends was not quite enough, but the blood that has already been spilled today will do quite nicely._

"NO!" Percy screamed as Gaea stomped her foot, sending a wave of rippling energy in all directions. The earth began to shake violently. Behind Gaea, the ground started to twist and come apart. Pieces of rock and grass fell into the middle of a whirlpool of land. The bottom fell out, and even from his low vantage point, Percy could see a blackness so deep it seemed to suck in light. _Tartarus_.

Almost as quickly as it had started, the ground stopped shaking, leaving a gaping pit a mile wide in the middle of the field. Percy expected them all to be sucked it immediately, but nothing happened. _She needs our blood, not our souls._

Percy watched in horror as monsters started to climb over the sides of the pit. The ugliest and scariest monsters any of them had ever seen started to gather in front of their eyes. Hydras, chimera, and manticores followed drakons and other beasts that even Annabeth didn't recognize.

Not a single demigod spoke or moved. Then a rough voice broke the silence, "Is _that_ all you've got?"

_Oh, no, Clarisse, why did you have to open your_– Percy's thought was interrupted by a brilliant flash of light. When his eyes refocused, he saw that ten of Gaea's children stood in front of them. Percy only recognized the four he helped kill, and Porphyrion. They all glared at the demigods with hatred.

Movement behind this new line of enemies drew his eye. A massive black chariot, just like in his dream, rose out of the pit, only it was now pulled by two dragons, not horses. Percy spotted Otus holding the reins while Clytius stood behind him.

Following them out of the pit, another drakon rose. This one was bigger than all of its cousins and had wings. Looking at it for the first time was the scariest second of Percy's entire life.

_No, daughter of Ares, that is not all._

As the giants' chariot and the megadrakon flew towards the demigods, the quickly growing monster army charged forward under them.

"Prissy, you guys kill the big uglies! We'll take care of the monsters. Travis, Connor, let's go!" Clarisse raised her spear in the air. The Greek soldiers, following the cyclops and Ares cabin's lead, yelled a war cry and cautiously followed the two chariots around the giants, who didn't seem to notice them.

Reyna practically threw the Roman eagle at Octavian. "Octavian, lead the legion into battle. I will help fight the giants."

Percy couldn't tell which emotion was more present in the augur's face, pride or fear. To his credit, Octavian overcame his shock and confidently grasped the eagle. "As you wish Praetor." He turned to face his soldiers. "Well, Romans, what are you waiting for? We can't let the Greeks get the better of us! Charge!"

Again, the giants didn't even blink when the Roman legion surged around them and quickly caught up with the Greeks. A few brave Flotilla soldiers, not wanting to be left behind, ran after the camps. It was all the encouragement needed for the remaining warriors to charge after them.

Thankfully, shadows began to pass over them. The Flotilla's ships were engaging the monster army. Ballistae coughed, and monsters exploded. The giant chariot and megadrakon headed right for the fleet.

Percy looked around at who was left to oppose Gaea and the giants. Fifteen demigods, that was including the injured Thalia and Nico, Festus the robot, and Tyson stood around Percy. _Well, we've had worse odds before._

One giant that Percy didn't recognize stepped out of line. "Mutt, you die now!" His voice was steaming with rage.

Dax walked in front of Percy. "Gration, it's nice to see you in one piece." Dax's eyes were almost red with loathing.

His statement seemed to anger the giant further, who bellowed and charged. Dax, who was now glowing, his aura flickering between green and gray, rushed out to meet his opponent. Their blades collided, releasing a concussion wave with enough force to knock everyone but the two combatants to the ground.


	15. The Bravest Satyrs Anyone Ever Knew

**A/N: I own nothing. I had a lot of fun with this chapter so enjoy! Please Review!**

**The Bravest Satyrs Anyone Ever Knew**

The only way Gleeson Hedge was getting on another flying, wooden deathtrap was if they let him blow up as many monsters as he wanted, any way he wanted. That was exactly what he told Chiron and the Flotilla leader guy. At first they laughed at him, but with a little threatening with his bat, Hedge had convinced them that it was a wonderful idea.

Since then, Hedge had been impatiently pacing the deck of the flagship every day, begging a monster to attack them so he could blast it right out of the sky. But none came, and it was driving the satyr nuts.

Even worse, when the fleet had burst through the cloud cover over the monster army, the Flotilla's crewman hadn't let him fire one of the ballistae. Thankfully, a dragon had landed on the deck and torched one of the crewman, who just happened to be firing the biggest, baddest cannon on the ship.

Without hesitating, Hedge leapt into the control seat and let all Hades loose on the monster army, starting with that dragon. Poor monster never even had a chance.

The beautiful cannon that had the good fortune of being controlled by Hedge was beautiful, and it fired the flaming projectiles faster than any other on the ship. Positioned on the bow, the trigger happy satyr was happy to take advantage of the seemingly endless supply of ammunition. He doubled his kill count for the whole war in the first ten minutes.

After the freak fire-flood-tornado storm disintegrated nearly every monster in sight, Hedge had reluctantly stepped down from his cannon, only to be greeted by dropped jaws and praise. The demigods were in absolute awe of his performance. _And they should be. I've been blowing stuff up since before they were born_.

Now, he stood on the bow, anxiously waiting for the council leader to return with word from the Seven. Those campers always need Hedge to come to the rescue. He snorted.

Hedge spotted a gray Pegasus rapidly approaching the flagship. As soon as the council leader, Tyler, landed, Hedge was all over him.

"What's the plan?"

The boy scowled. "The fools have no plan. They just want to fight whatever comes next, and hope the gods save us."

"Excellent news. Just show me what to blow up, sir." Hedge gave him a mocking salute. Tyler's scowl deepened.

"Satyr, the council has decided. We are leaving this fight." All the demigods on the deck started to gather around them.

"What are you talking about?"

"Did you not hear me, you old goat? They have no plan. We have to survive."

Hedge got his five foot frame as close to the brat's face as he could. "Listen, brat, those seven having no plan would work out better than any plan of yours, if you even had one, which you seem to be short of. What you aren't short of are explosives and people who know how to use them. Stop being a coward, or this will be the last decision you ever make."

"Why are you people so intent on getting yourselves killed?"

A grin spread across Hedge's face. "Kid, there ain't a better feeling in the world than killing a monster that wants nothing better than to make tomorrow's breakfast out of you."

"You people are impossible!" The council leader stomped his foot in frustration.

"Impossible to kill, maybe."

Any further conversation was ended when a groan erupted from the earth itself. Everyone on the deck sprinted to the railing. Hedge threatened and muscled through the crowd with Tyler on his heels, only to be amazed and impossibly excited.

In front of the demigod army on the ground, a massive black hole had opened up and monsters were climbing out, apparently from the depths of Tartarus itself. A giant chariot and a flying drakon flew out of the pit and took a direct path for the Flotilla.

Hedge clapped Tyler on the back. "Well, looks like you don't have a choice now, sport." He turned to the rest of the demigods, "Battle stations! Round two of the Coach Hedge destruction show begins immediately! Feel free to take notes."

The crazed satyr sprinted back to his cannon and fired her up without any resistance. Hedge called over the engineer loading another crate of ammo into his glorious machine.

"Kid, I got a joke for you." The boy looked terrified. Hedge smiled. "Knock, knock."

"Wh- wh- who's there?"

"Lots of."

"Lots of who?"

"Lots of pain, and it's heading your way, you ugly, overgrown, garden snake!" Hedge taunted as he depressed the cannons trigger. He was practically frothing at the mouth as the drakon twisted and turned in the air, while he chased it with the cannon's crosshair.

The monster must have been insulted, because it roared and flew directly at Hedge and his cannon. Out of the corner of his eye, Hedge watched the massive chariot, piloted by two giants, plow directly through the hull of one of the smaller Flotilla's ships unscathed.

"Come on, lizard breath, die faster so I can make your friends go BOOM!"

Hedge did his best to nail the drakon, but the lizard was fast. Another shadow barely registered on his mental radar, before a thump shook the deck and demigods screamed.

"Hedge!" a familiar voice called to him.

"Zhang, get back down there and fight those big idiots! I've got this!"

"You can't get 'em both fast enough! Which one do you want?"

"The gecko's all mine, kid. Knock out that chariot."

"Deal." Hedge looked away from his target, without taking his finger off the trigger, long enough to watch Zhang leap off the bow and shift into a dragon, ready to take on two giants on his own. _Hades, I'm proud of that kid. Not that I could ever say it like that._ That was the closest Hedge had been to tears in as long as he could remember, besides his wedding day.

Refocusing on his target, Hedge quickly lost track of the time he spent playing aerial cat and mouse with the flying serpent. His enemy was equally as determined to get at Hedge as well. The serpent dodged missiles, and forced Hedge to stop firing whenever he passed behind another ship.

At one point, Hedge completely lost sight of the drakon, who quickly appeared around the hull of a destroyer only a few hundred yards away. The beast made no attempt to hide after that, and charged the flagship's bow.

The drakon dodged left, and Hedge fired left, then right, followed closely by Hedge, then left again. _Gotcha, buddy_. Hedge fired right, and the drakon accidently intercepted the missile with the side of his head. With a groan, the beast fell towards the earth. A cheer rose from the demigods who weren't too engaged with gryphons and dragons of their own to watch the spectacle.

Hedge smiled broadly, but the show was far from over. He spotted the giants' chariot cruising between, under, and around the other ships, all the while the giant in the rear was hacking at passing hulls, demigods, and masts. Zhang the dragon was trailing them.

The chariot turned, coming almost directly at Hedge's gun. _Thank you and have a nice afterlife_. He let loose a torrent missiles, but the giant driving was fast. Spotting the attack, he pulled back on the reins, but two missiles still made contact. One ripped off a wheel and the other exploded against the undercarriage. Combined with the evasive driving, the impacts slowed the chariot enough for Zhang to catch up. Swooping between the chariot and its' steeds, he used his sharp dragon claws to sever the lines between the two. Hedge heard the giants scream as they approached terminal velocity.

The cannon's engineer confirmed there was still plenty of ammo left, so Hedge trained his sights on the ground battle. Anything big and mean looking, that wasn't surrounded by heroes, received a barrage of fiery death from his ballistae.

Hedge was in the middle of taking down a hydra, when a misty image shimmered into focus in front of him.

"Hedge! Oh thank the gods. What is happening?"

"Grover, about time we heard from you. You're missing the best battle of our lifetime!" Hedge cackled as the hydra disintegrated.

"Fantastic." Grover's face couldn't hide his fear. "The northerners were harder to convince that expected, but we're nearly there now."

"Well, as long as you get here before we run out of monsters to blow up no one will be mad." Hedge watched as even more creatures climbed out of the pit. Despite his love of destruction, Hedge didn't know how they were going to finish this fight.

"That's what I'm afraid of. I'm just glad Gaea didn't notice our little surprise."

Hedge looked down and saw the battle within the battle was still raging. A small group of heroes was taking on all the giants, and holding their own.

"She's a little busy." The ship lurched forward as if a colossal weight was thrown over the bow. A black, scaly hand flattened a large portion of the railing. The drakon's head followed closely behind, brandishing a smoking crater where the left eye should be. "And so am I. Gotta go!" Hedge leapt out of his seat as the drakon's other hand swiped his canon off the side of the ship.

"You owe me a bigger gun, lizard breath!" Hedge cried as he rolled under another sweeping claw.

Looking around, Hedge started to panic. He couldn't get to another ballista in time, and his only weapon was a baseball bat, a mighty bat, but not the weapon for the moment. Hedge did see, next to where his cannon used to be, a half-smashed crate the engineer had dropped. Inside it, Hedge knew, was ammo for the ballistae.

Naturally, Hedge settled on the old adage, the shortest distance between points A and B is a straight line, and charged the drakon. Luckily, it surprised the big lizard, who took a crucial second too long in trying to squash the satyr. Hedge rolled under a claw and was beside the crate in seconds.

By now, Hedge had angered the dragon enough to earn a death by teeth instead of claw. When the satyr had wrestled a missile out of its packaging, the beast's maw was only seconds from closing around him. Hedge tossed the projectile into the drakon's mouth and flung himself away.

The missile spun in the air until making contact with the beast's throat. The ensuing explosion blew a hole in the drakon's neck wide enough for a hellhound to jump through. Hedge ran to the broken railing as the beast fell backward. He watched proudly as it disintegrated in midair.

A brilliant flash of golden light drew his attention back to the ground battle with the giants. Hedge watched one of the giants fall, a massive trident protruding from its chest.

"It's about time you big babies showed up!" Hedge turned back to the surviving deck crew. "Somebody get me a bigger gun!"

* * *

Grover was trying to limit his nervous bleating, but was doing a poor job. The satyr was scared out of his mind. After spending the last two weeks with less than friendly nature spirits and giants with a hellhound as his only companion, he was more than happy to see his friends again. He was just worried how many friends would be left when he finally got there.

When the Flotilla had arrived to carry the two camps to war, Chiron had come up with a another, truly Percy-worthy, plan. Grover was to take Mrs. O'Leary, Percy's hellhound, to northern Europe and gather an army of nature spirits and whoever else he could rally. The only problem was he was alone, and Mrs. O'Leary terrified him, even though she had proven her loyalty over the past years more times than Grover could count.

He readjusted his rasta cap when Mrs. O'Leary, who he was now riding to keep up a fast pace, accidently stepped in a ditch the size of Grover's head. The nymphs of Europe had been relatively easy to convince. Grover simply explained the danger Gaea and her monsters posed to their trees and ecosystems. He gathered forces, starting in Spain, then France, and then Germany, where one nymph leader told him about the peaceful giants in the German and Austrian mountains.

_Worst idea ever._ When they had arrived to see the giants, Grover was imprisoned for two whole days. It turned out the Hyperborean giants' leader had actually made a pact with Gaea to stop any advance from the north, and Grover had just walked his army right into their lair.

With only minutes to spare before Grover was executed, the Hyperborean second in command had killed the leader and pledged the entire clan's loyalty to Olympus. Shortly after, the giants and nymphs had assembled together and marched for Greece.

Now, Grover was riding a hellhound, while leading an army of nearly a thousand nature spirits and a few hundred snow giants to almost certain death. _What I wouldn't do to chew on some sixteenth century French upholstery right now_. His mouth nearly watered at the thought.

To top it all off, his conversation with Gleeson Hedge had been less than encouraging. If Hedge defined the fight at Olympus as the "best battle of our lifetime," then they were probably all going to die very painfully. It was also not a good sign that the Flotilla had apparently given him total control over a very big cannon.

Mrs. O'Leary bounded over the final ridge, and Grover's heart sank. A gaping pit spewing monsters directly from Tartarus was below him. To his right, hundreds, maybe even thousands of demigod and cyclops warriors battled the never ending tide of monsters. The Flotilla hovered above them, blasting monsters out of the sky and off the ground, but there weren't as many ships as had left Camp Half-Blood.

A winged drakon fell off the deck of the flagship and disintegrated in the air. Only Hedge or Percy would have the guts to fight _that_. Based on the iris message, Grover's money was on Hedge. For a second, Grover remembered Luke Castellan's last words to him, _Grover, you're the bravest satyr I ever knew_. Funny how often brave, ridiculous, and downright stupid went hand in hand whenever Percy Jackson was involved. Grover snorted. His best friends were down there, and he'd go to Tartarus before he'd let them die without him.

As if reading his mind, Mrs. O'Leary howled in defiance. Grover was about to say something heroic like _For Olympus!_ or _Charge!_ but it came out more like a surprised "_BLEEEEET_!" as Mrs. O'Leary stormed down the hill without warning. His army apparently didn't need any encouragement, because they sent up their own war cry and charged after them.


	16. A Little Extra Something

**A/N: I own nothing. Please _review_!**

**A Little Extra Something**

The giants were much slower to recover from the concussion than the heroes. They were in no rush. Dax and Gration were in their own sphere of battle. Both combatants were moving so fast that Percy couldn't even see their blades. He only knew they were fighting because every time their swords met, Percy's ears hurt and sparks flew in every direction.

Percy looked up. The megadrakon and giant chariot were a serious problem. If they lost air support, the demigod army would be overrun quickly.

"Frank, I need you to go help the Flotilla."

"What? Percy, the fight is here!"

"There won't be a fight if we lose those ships." Ryder added.

"We just need you to take out the chariot and drakon, then you can come back."

"Yeah, just go angry goldfish of destruction mode on them." Leo said. Everyone glared at him.

Frank growled, then reluctantly shifted into a dragon and charged into the air. "Be careful!" Hazel called after him.

By now, the giants had reassembled into their line and were ready to fight. Polybotes pointed his trident at Percy. "Come now, son of the sea. Die like you were born to!"

Percy didn't even have a sarcastic comment. He just ran at the giant and attacked. Tyson was next to him swinging his club. Polybotes was stunned by the sudden attack, and Percy slashed him in the leg and belly. Quickly the giant regained his balance and went on the offensive.

At first, each hero attacked the giant born to destroy their parents. Annabeth charged Enceladus. Thalia and Jason took on Porphyrion. Alceonyus found himself fending off Hazel and Nico. Leo sprouted wings from his backpack and threw fire from the air down on a surprisingly not ugly giant while Keenan swung a battle axe at its knees.

Everyone else attacked the closest enemy. Ryder dueled Otis and Ephialtes with his whip and blade. Jack was having a little too much fun darting under a frustrated giant's massive gladius and feet. Another giant was attacked by both Piper and Skylar. Festus was locked in hand to hand combat. Reyna fought next to Annabeth.

The only hero who hadn't moved was Jenni. She stood still, staring at Dax fight Gration with wide eyes. She looked like she was debating whether to cry or run to him. It didn't matter which, the girl was going to get herself kid.

"Jenni!"

* * *

As soon as she had gotten to her feet, Jenni couldn't pull her eyes away from Dax. She hadn't even registered Percy and Frank's conversation. She stood still, paralyzed by fear, waiting for the boy she loved to get pulverized right in front of her eyes.

Her friends had rushed forward to attack the other giants, but she couldn't. Jenni felt guilty even thinking about leaving Dax's side, even though she had a feeling that he was totally cut off from her.

Swords clashed faster than Jenni's eyes could register. Dax's aura flickered. Her heart was trying to beat its way out of her chest.

"Jenni!"

Percy's voice snapped Jenni back to reality. She had to do something, anything. She had to help her friends. She had to help Dax.

Looking around, Jenni realized she was useless. Melee combat was never her strength, nor was archery. Jenni drove the chariot. She drove Dax into battle and he protected her. Everyone on the Marathon even let her skip training most of the time. The only skill she had was her voice, her charmspeak.

Out of helplessness, Jenni wanted to scream. She opened her mouth to release it, but the scream never came. Instead, words poured out of her mouth. Power welled up from her stomach and left her in the form of a song. The lyrics were foreign, and there was no tune, but Jenni didn't stop. She couldn't stop. The only thing she could do was sing.

* * *

Percy had to look away from the paralyzed girl as Polybotes swung at his head. Ducking, Percy lashed out with Riptide and stabbed the giant in the knee. Tyson leapt into the air and clubbed Polybotes in the back of the head. The giant stumbled, but recovered even faster than before.

A sound penetrated Percy's focus. Every thought, sense, and emotion that wouldn't help him in the fight was totally blocked out, but this voice broke right through his barriers.

"_To storm or fire, the world must fall._

_Out of the pit, giants and monsters crawl._

_An oath to keep with a final breath,_

_We will avenge our brother with your death._

_Bronze and gold bound together,_

_Will end the children you so treasure."_

Percy realized it was Jenni. Her voice was a combination of a song and a poem, and it was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard.

Riptide started to glow and vibrate comfortably in his hand. A tingle spread from the sword through his body. Jenni's voice filled him with power, confidence, amd ,more importantly, hope. The song made Percy believe that they could actually win this fight, with or without their parents. Percy attacked the giant with renewed energy.

Polybotes heard the song too, and his expression shifted from confusion to horror to anger. He swiped at Percy, who jumped over the blade and cut a long gash in the giant's arm. Percy's consciousness pushed Jenni's voice out of awareness as he resumed fighting, but still allowed the power to surge through him.

Even with Jenni's song enhancing their power, the demigods realized pretty fast that fighting each giant one on one or even two on one was going to get them all killed. The battle devolved into chaotic guerilla warfare. No one had a single target, and no one stopped moving.

Jack was an absolute pest, sprinting around the battle and driving his dagger into any soft spot he could find. Whenever a giant got too close, he retreated to a safe distance, launched a volley of arrows, and then moved onto the next enemy.

Thalia did a great job distracting giants with arrows to the face while another hero snuck in and attacked. Jason's lightning strikes kept their enemies off balance. The flying blowtorch Leo had become attacked all the giants, the boy taunting them the whole time.

Piper sang along with her sister, but she never stopped fighting.

"_To storm or fire, the world must fall,_

_But the other elements will stand tall._

_Metal and stone brought forth,_

_Only light and water match its force._

_Speed and arrows bring giants to their knees,_

_Magic and wisdom will avenge the ones who bleed_."

Hazel's one-two punch attack was remarkably effective. She would launch a gold brick or piece of slate from the ground into a giants' face, then attack its legs while it was dazed. Reyna would hit it from the other side, and they would repeat the cycle on their next victim.

Percy mostly fought side by side with Annabeth. Together, they were unstoppable. The couple never had to speak or hesitate. Each hero knew exactly what the other would do and put themselves in a position to follow the attack with an even more vicious one.

But the most irritating hero was by far Ryder. The smug look on the Titan Boy's face when his flaming whip cracked across a giants' back drove them absolutely crazy. In their anger, the giants often left themselves open to be blindsided by Percy or another demigod.

As their battle raged, the unending tide of monsters slowly pushed the demigod army backwards until the larger fight completely surrounded the smaller one. Percy saw Clarisse's chariot flip and his gut wrenched, but the Stolls leapt over her and crushed an attacking earthborn, allowing the daughter of Ares to get back to her feet.

Without realizing, Percy had stopped fighting to watch the scene, but Enceladus didn't. The giant stepped forward and drove his spear down. Too late, Percy spun and raised Riptide. A Roman gladius intercepted the blow, but the giant was too strong. The spear slipped down the Imperial Gold blade and tore open his savior's breastplate.

Percy stormed the giant, beating him back before Jason stabbed Enceladus in the back to draw his attention. Turning around, the boy who saved Percy's life was slowly getting to his feet.

"Octavian?" Percy's mouth hung open.

"Don't make me regret it, Jackson." The augur said pointedly. "Dakota has the eagle. It looked like you could use a hand."

The Roman's armor was shredded, and blood was splattered across his chest. "You can't fight like that."

Octavian pushed past Percy. "Watch me, _praetor_." He charged after Enceladus. _Maybe there's hope for the camps after all._

"_To storm or fire, the world must fall, _

_Many more than seven have answered the call._

_We fight with love and determination,_

_But hatred blinds your ambition._

_This is not our last stand,_

_But yours, we will thwart your final plan."_

Every child of Aphrodite had subconsciously started to sing with Jenni. As Percy watched, the singing girl started to glow, her aura a brilliant pink. Her hair shone and she looked even more effortlessly beautiful than before. _The blessing of Aphrodite_. Only a few feet in front of her, Dax's aura leapt like another log had been thrown on the fire. Gration's expression flashed to fear for a moment before returning to hate.

Jenni's voice was amplified like she was using a megaphone. Every demigod within a mile could hear her, and it showed. Any bronze or gold blade Percy could see glowed. He could see hope relight the fire in his friends' eyes. The army fought with renewed passion. Monsters cried out in terror. Projectiles fell from the Flotilla's cannons with more frequency and precision.

A shadow passed over Percy, and Frank landed next to him. "Flotilla's safe, Percy. But Otus and Clytius are on their way over."

"Fantastic."

"Ow!" Nico, who had been sent airborne by a blow from Alcyoneus, landed at their feet. The giant roared and approached the three. "Zhang, great timing, I've got a present for you."

The son of the Underworld removed the Diocletian Scepter from his belt and thrust it into the air. Instantly, dead legionaries started to climb out of the ground and mill in front of them. The giant stopped dead in his tracks, confused and wary.

"Legion!" Frank yelled. "Get him!"

"Very heroic sounding, Frank." Percy said, but his command worked. At least forty dead Romans ran at Alcyoneus. Instead of stopping to fight, they jumped and climbed all over the giant. Eventually, their weight unbalanced the giant to the point where he fell to the ground. _I guess that works too._

The legionnaires proceeded to unsheathe knives and repeatedly stab the fallen giant, who bellowed in pain and rage. That was the problem, all the heroes managed to do was make the giants mad, which made them stronger. Percy could already feel their power strengthening, as Gaea poured all the energy from spilt demigod blood into her children. Soon, the heroes would be crushed.

The gods were nowhere to be found, and the only person who could kill any giant was still locked in heated single combat. Neither Dax nor Gration looked to be tiring.

_Well, might as well go down swinging_. Percy fought to Annabeth, who was fending off an attack from Porphyrion. Together, they drove the giant backward, where Frank shifted into an elephant and table-topped him. Porphyrion landed heavily on his butt, and the ground shook.

"STOP!" Every demigod and giant head turned to the center of their little skirmish. Dax was on one knee, his eyes dazed and his aura dim. The two-toned blade lay just out of reach. Gration stood over him with an evil smile, his black blade raised in triumph.

"Now, you heroes will see your Mutt die, and you will know we have won." Gration raised his blade.

_No_. Everything slowed down. Gration begin to swing his sword toward Dax, who was too stunned to move. Jenni was right behind him, her aura growing and becoming more red than pink.

"DAX!" Her voice vibrated through the air like a wave.

The Mutt's eyes flared, and he raised his head. His aura blazed, but it was golden now. Percy saw his muscles tense, and the ground opened beneath Dax. Water surged upward, pushing Dax above the giant's blade. The two-toned sword flew back to his hand. The Imperial Gold half glowed so bright Percy thought it would melt.

As he began to fall, Dax swung down at Gration's head. The blade sliced the giant in two right down to the groin. Dax landed on the ground, and Gration exploded. Golden particles were scattered in every direction, passing through bodies, steel, and earth. Percy had seen monsters blown up in a lot of different ways, but something about that explosion and Dax's aura told him Gration would never, ever reform.

Dax stood, his chest labored with heavy breathing. A long, bloody gash had opened on his midsection. Jenni ran to him, her aura returning to its normal pink color. No other giant or demigod moved. Percy couldn't tear his eyes off that golden aura. _The boy who's supposed to be a god. _

No one saw Porphyrion recover from his stumble over Frank. Almost no one saw him eye Percy with loathing, raise his foot and stamp the ground. The earth erupted in a line, like a giant worm was burrowing straight at Percy.

"Percy!" Annabeth screamed, but she was too far to drag him out of the way.

Percy reacted too slowly. There was no way he could get out of the way. Then a large form leapt in front of him and took the full force of the attack in the chest.

"Tyson!" Percy screamed as the cyclops was launched into the air. He swung around to face the giant king, who was smiling.

Anger welled inside him in a way Percy hadn't felt in a very long time. He started to sprint at his brother's attacker when a brilliant golden light flared behind him. Porphyrion's smile evaporated only to be replaced by a terrified frown. A massive, sea green trident flew past Percy and impaled the giant in the chest. Porphyrion fell to the ground.

The trident flew backwards and Percy's eyes followed it all the way back to the hand of Poseidon himself. His father stood in the center of their battle, with almost all of the Olympian council in full battle garb. Athena, Ares, and Apollo were on his right. Hades, Artemis and Hephaestus flanked his left. Behind them, a goddess that Percy knew was Hecate because she looked exactly like Skylar, floated next to Aphrodite. Hermes hovered overheard with his winged boots and Dionysus stood in the rear doing his best to look bored. The King of the Gods and his wife were nowhere to be seen.

Poseidon gave Percy a weak smile before hardening his gaze on Porphyrion. "You are going to regret that."


	17. Sibling Rivalry

**A/N: I own nothing. Please review!**

**Sibling Rivalry**

The Olympian throne room was as quiet as a tomb. Every immortal pair of eyes was glued to the big screen image of the battle the demigods were waging against Gaea's forces, except one. Poseidon's sea green eyes swept the room every time something significant happened on the battlefield. The sea god had to stop this madness. His brother's stubbornness was going to be the end of their civilization, and their children.

But he only had one chance, and needed a lot of support. Glancing at one of his oldest enemies, Athena, Poseidon knew she would stand with him. Despite thousands of years of fighting, the two gods had recently been able to put their differences aside for the sake of their children. When Percy and Annabeth fell into Tartarus, Poseidon and Athena were forced to comfort each other. None of the other gods could sympathize enough.

Ares would fight, if not for any other reason than to fight. Hermes would back him. Despite his mischievous nature, the god was secretly pragmatic and intelligent. He also had a soft spot for Percy. Behind Apollo's eyes, Poseidon only saw fear. The sun god would be a hard sell.

Aphrodite and Hephaestus were impossible to read. Aphrodite cared about her children greatly, but was not much of a fighter. Her husband would hopefully go to battle, but he didn't know how to voice his opinion.

Artemis was doing a horrible job concealing her anger. Since they saw Thalia in chains, the Huntress had a white knuckled grip on her throne. If nothing else, she could bully her brother into fighting. Demeter was transfixed by the screen but her face was expressionless.

On his guest throne, Hades was infuriatingly and surprisingly collected, but there was no doubt he would stand with Poseidon. Dionysus was visibly plagued by fear, but not for his own hide. Poseidon saw him wince whenever a camper fell. His nephew would be itching to get at the giants.

In one corner stood the most mysterious god in the room. After her scene at the House of Hades, Zeus had summoned Hecate to Olympus, where she was forced to stay. While twirling a golden drachma between her fingers, the goddess of magic watched the screen with something akin to amusement, as if she was interested in the ending to this ordeal the same way she would anticipate the ending of a TV show. Poseidon shivered at her apparent indifference.

On screen, Clarisse la Rue's chariot flipped over and earthborn swarmed her. Two of Hermes' sons appeared out of the mob and gave her enough time to stand up. Without letting anyone see, the god of war nodded thankfully to his brother.

Of course, Percy saw the scene but not the giant, Enceladus, raising his spear. Poseidon was on the edge of his seat. He didn't care how he looked to the other gods, but only Athena caught the pain in his face. They were all enthralled by the battle.

Percy saw his attacker coming, but he was going to be too late. Poseidon's heart was hammering and sweat poured down his forehead. Everyone in the room was so focused on Percy's impending death that no one saw the figure sprinting towards Percy until his blade met the giant's spear.

"**Octavian?"**

Poseidon was as awed as Percy was. The augur who wanted nothing more than to see Percy's head on a stake in the middle of a burning Camp Half-Blood had saved his life. Octavian charged after the giant. For all his talk and hatred, the boy was brave when he had to be. It was Poseidon's turn to nod thankfully at Apollo.

Hades had been surprisingly calm and quiet throughout the battle. He caught Poseidon's gaze and held it for a few moments before nodding, as if saying _it's time_. _Thank you_, Poseidon mouthed. Poseidon was confident that they could talk sense into their bother. The lord of sea and lord of the underworld stood together.

"Brother," Poseidon began, "Enough is enough!" He could barely hold back his anger.

"Zeus, we have to help our children." Hades said much more coolly.

The King of the Gods sat forward in his chair. Sky blue eyes jumped from one brother to the other and back. "Brothers, we cannot fight our children's battles for them."

"Are you that blind, Zeus? They are fighting _our_ battle for _us_!" Poseidon lost it. "You'd let them die, but you do not understand that if they fail, then we die too."

"Poseidon, the ancient magic prevents us –"

"Don't you _dare_ speak to me, Hera! Don't you dare defend his actions after what you did! You are the _worst_ hypocrite in this room." The Queen of the Gods had, against Poseidon's better judgment, been allowed to return to Olympus. Since then, she had remained almost silent and avoided any interaction with the rest of her family. Poseidon was ready to seal her in Tartarus without a second thought.

Before he followed through on that glorious idea, Athena interrupted. "Father, if Gaea has tampered with the ancient magic, then it stands to reason we are not bound by it in the same ways as before. We have to fight now, before it is too late." She stood at Poseidon's side.

"We still don't know how to put her back to sleep." Demeter added.

"Then we have to defeat the giants now, while we can still contain her and come up with a solution." Hades answered.

"Well, what are we waiting for then?" Ares stood up, grinning at the prospect of finally being able to fight.

"I don't know, _Dad_, what are we waiting for?" Hermes stood with a scowl.

Zeus opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by the battle.

"**STOP!"**

Poseidon turned back to the live feed to see Dax kneeling at Gration's feet. _Oh no_. If Dax fell, and Zeus continued throwing his tantrum, then they were doomed. Athena gripped Poseidon's hand. He squeezed back. There was no romance in the gesture, but her touch was comforting. The warmth of her hand reassured the god of the sea that their children would survive.

No one spoke. Poseidon wanted to cry when Gration raised his sword. Dax was still too dazed to move. The other demigods couldn't help.

"**DAX!"**

The daughter of Aphrodite's voice echoed off the walls of the throne room. The gods were shocked by the girl's power. Even though they heard it through an Iris message, the air vibrated around them. But Dax was only a few feet from her, and he was instantly rejuvenated. Poseidon would have to send that girl a gift basket.

Water broke through the ground beneath the boy and launched him up and over the giant. Dax was glowing gold as he sliced the giant in two. His victim exploded into a million charged particles of energy.

"Did he just kill, like actually kill, an i-immortal?" Apollo stammered.

"I don't know." Athena answered quietly, but Posiedon did, or he at least had an incredibly strong gut feeling. All the Primordials together could never piece that giant back together again. Even he was scared by that thought.

"Zeus, what more do you need to see? They have proven themselves a hundred times over!" Poseidon glared at his brother.

"I will not be persuaded by the product of your mistake." Zeus pointed at the image. "The Mutt –

Poseidon's trident materialized in his hand and he pointed it at Zeus, who was shocked into silence. Even Athena looked ready to take on her father. "Brother, if you ever refer to my son by that name again, I promise that I will do _much_ worse to you than he did to that giant."

When the Marathon had rescued the crew of the Argo II, Zeus had called for a council meeting. He wanted to know who the demigods aboard that ship were. The Flotilla was always a touchy subject for the Olympians. Their lack of knowledge because of the ancient magic unnerved them, so that group of demigods was mostly left to fend for themselves.

Hermes had confessed, to everyone's horror, that Ryder was a son of Hyperion. The god of messengers was the one who had rescued Ryder as a baby and brought him to the Flotilla. Athena had claimed Dax then, but everyone was suspicious of the boys black hair. She passed him off as a distant legacy of Poseidon. Hermes and Aphrodite had connected the dots, and Hades knew, but all three remained silent.

After Percy and Annabeth had been rescued from the Parthenon, Zeus called them back again. Dax had slain a giant on his own, and the King of the Gods was outraged and afraid. Only Poseidon and Hermes had seen the Panama incident. Athena and Poseidon, with help from their three accomplices, told the rest of the council Dax's true heritage. It took a monumental effort from all five gods to stop the other gods from smiting him and the Titan Boy on the spot. As a last resort, Hermes played for the council a video of the Panama battle. The gods were afraid of the boy, but he was a powerful tool to wield against Gaea. That was the _only_ reason he was still alive.

The other gods were afraid then, but nowhere near as afraid as they were now. None of them dared to speak in fear of Poseidon feeling the need to release his anger on something. Even Zeus looked concerned for his own safety. "Poseidon, I am sorry. I did not mean to offend you."

"I do not care for your apologies, brother, or for this charade. I am going to fight, _now_. You may come with me or stay, I do not care."

Before Zeus could respond, Apollo cried out, "Wait, look!"

In the image, every demigod and giant was still staring at Dax, who was emitting a fierce golden aura and looking mighty angry, except Porphyrion. The king of the giants stamped his foot and a rocket of dirt flew towards Percy. Annabeth cried out but was too far to help. _Oh, Fates, please_. At the last second, a large body leapt in front of Percy and took the blow. The boy's savior should have been totally destroyed, but instead he was thrown into the air towards the little town.

Poseidon whimpered a little. "Tyson."

"Your son always needs someone else to save his skin." Zeus seemed to forget for a moment how angry his brother was with him.

Athena and Hades got ready to restrain Poseidon, but, surprisingly, the sea god's anger melted into guilt. "You are right, brother. It's about time I protected my own son." Poseidon turned to face the rest of the council. "Almost all of our children have fought to protect us in the past few millennia. In the past few years alone, we have faced annihilation many times, but we would have perished if not for our children, every single time. If for no other reason, we must join them in battle to return the favor." He clanged the base of his trident on the floor and in a flash was dressed in his armor. "Will you fight with me?"

Hades nodded solemnly, and the Helm of Darkness appeared on his head. Athena brandished her spear and shield. Ares looked absolutely giddy with excitement. Artemis was on her feet and pacing while Hermes was hovering above them, wearing his winged boots.

None of the other seated gods moved at first. "Well, it's about time we reminded the brats why they need us." Dionysus stood and summoned his pinecone staff.

All of the standing gods stared at Apollo, who looked terrified of them. "Uh, hi, guys." Artemis stalked toward him wielding her knives. "Easy there, sis."

"Get up, Apollo, _now_." She said sternly.

The sun god glanced around nervously. When it looked like no one was going to protect him if Artemis attacked, he stood. "Alright. I'll go, but first, let me compose a beautiful haiku.

_Everyone needs me,_

_I am so awesome_ –"

"STOP!" Even the seated gods protested.

"Fine." Apollo pouted.

"Oi!" Hephaestus roared. A massive, black warhammer appeared in his hands. "I'm bored up here."

Aphrodite strolled over to stand beside Ares. "I'm a lover, not a fighter, but I _can_ sing with my daughter."

Hecate glided over to them on a cloud of white mist without a word. She held two lit torches. Hades turned to his mother-in-law. "Demeter?"

The goddess looked away, ashamed. "I'm afraid, Hades, that I would be no use to you in a fight."

"You're a coward!" Hades shot back. "If Gaea wins, I hope the first thing she does is destroy all the cereal, which you apparently value more than your own family." Everyone winced at the prospect of their defeat.

Demeter looked at the ground without responding. Hades shook his head and turned back to Zeus. "Well, what's it going to be, brother?"

"I think you are making a mistake. Now is not the time to divide our forces." Hera answered.

Athena stepped forward. "Our forces are already divided. We stand here doing nothing while the demigods fight."

"I disagree with your logic, but I cannot stop you from leaving." Zeus said. His body flickered. Jupiter and Zeus were fighting each other again. The other gods' two halves had made amends when the Athena Parthenos had stopped a demigod war. No one knew why Zeus was still having problems.

"If you change your mind, we could use your help. Hera, you might want to stay here. I would be very tempted to throw you in Gaea's pit." Poseidon sneered. He slammed his trident on the floor, and the gods disappeared in a golden flash.

Silence once again filled the throne room.


	18. Returning the Favor

**A/N: I own nothing. PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! Thanks and enjoy!**

**Returning the Favor**

More than anything, Percy wanted to be able to say, "The gods showed up, we mopped the floor with the giants, Gaea fell into her own pit, and we lived happily ever after." Naturally, the battle did not play out that way.

If anything, the arrival of the gods made the giants fight even harder. They didn't seem well-equipped to fight demigods, but they were literally born to fight the Olympians. Clytius and Otus had rejoined the fight, and Zeus was just sitting on his throne.

There wasn't even time for the demigods to talk to their parents. As soon as Porphyrion regained his footing, ichor dripping down the front of his armor, the giants charged with renewed strength.

Around them, the demigod army was slowly but surely losing ground and soldiers, which only empowered the giants further. Another Flotilla ship cracked and fell to the earth. They needed to end this fight, and soon.

Before the giants and gods engaged each other, a colossal war cry came from beyond the battlefield. Every demigod, god, giant, and monster stopped fighting.

Above them, an army of nature spirits and Hyperborean giants cascaded over the ridge of the nearest hill. At first, Percy thought that would be the final blow to the demigod army, but then he saw who was leading the charge. A hellhound was storming down the hill in front of the army. On its back, a satyr wearing a rasta cap clung for dear life.

"Grover!" Percy cried.

All the campers who knew Grover matched his army's war cry and attacked the monsters before they recovered from their shock. Even the demigods who didn't know the satyr realized the approaching army was friendly and dove into the fray. The monsters were smashed from both sides.

In front of Percy, Polybotes snorted. "You only postpone your deaths. Blood and ichor will drench this earth and our mother will wake!"

An arrow burrowed into his forehead, and the giant cried out in pain. Jack stood next to Percy, bow in hand. "Yeah, but it'll be your ichor!" The son of Apollo sprinted forward and ran up Polybotes' front. He drove his dagger into the side of the giant's neck and then leapt off. While in midair, he let three arrows loose into Enceladus' back. Without breaking stride, Jack tore at Otus, whose ankle was introduced to his dagger.

Jack was so fast that no one even had a chance to move until he had already reached Otus. Nico summoned more dead legionnaires for Frank, who only remained in human form when he needed to give them orders. Hazel and Reyna, now joined by Octavian, resumed their stone and sword, hit and run tactics. Ryder made a beeline for Otis and Ephialties.

Overhead, Leo, with hateful fire in his eyes, flew towards Otus, throwing fireballs and threats. Skylar and Keenan charged forward without a specific target, with Jason and Piper behind them. Percy and Annabeth attacked Polybotes.

The Olympians paused for a moment to admire their children's bravery before following them into battle.

Percy knew the giants were growing stronger, but now the difference was significant. Their attacks carried more force, and they were faster. He watched a giant dodge one of Apollo's arrows in the middle of swinging its sword. The only thing that kept them in check was Dax, the only combatant who could kill one of them singlehandedly. Gaea's children were wary of his position at all times and took great care not to leave themselves open to one of his attacks.

Of course, that didn't make things _too_ much easier on the rest of the heroes.

Each god attacked the giant that was born to kill them at first. The not-so-ugly giant turned out to be the bane of Hephaestus, Mimas, while the epitome of ugly, Otus, was Apollo's. Gration was apparently Artemis' counterpart, because she followed Jack's chaotic attack pattern. Ares took on Porphyrion in Zeus' absence, while Aphrodite stood next to her daughter and joined her in song.

"_To storm or fire, the world must fall,_

_The Olympians will rescue our marvel._

_A giant's roar,_

_Snuffed out by Ares' sword._

_Wisdom's enemy will be without a blade,_

_When the trident comes to her aid."_

The song had become oddly prophetic, which worried Percy, but he overlooked that minor detail in favor of the power that coursed through him. With Aphrodite's aid, Jenni's song was even stronger and more penetrating. Even the weapons of the Olympians glowed.

But the Olympians fighting their counterparts were having difficulties. Their respective giants knew their moves before they did and were able to counter again and again. Quickly, the gods followed the demigods' example.

Hades blasted Porphyrion in the back with black energy, and Poseidon's trident blocked Alcyoneus' staff. Ares swung at Mimas. Hermes attacked Polybotes from the air while Athena did the same from the ground. But that too was only temporary.

The entire battle was a blur of bodies and metal. One second, Percy fought with Hades against Hippolytus, and the next he was dueling the twins back to back with Ryder. Apollo and Jack rained arrows down on Mimas, allowing Percy and Annabeth to strike at his legs.

A cry of pain nearby broke Percy's concentration. He spotted Reyna collapsed at Polybotes' feet, a bloody hole in her side. The giant smiled and raised a foot to crush her. Dax was sprinting towards the fallen praetor, but he would never make it in time.

As the giant began to bring his foot down, a golden streak flew towards Reyna. Without stopping, Jack scooped her up and continued running. Polybotes howled in rage. Jack, realizing the severity of Reyna's wound, sped off in the direction of the town. Percy didn't know how much healing power Jack inherited from his father, but prayed it would be enough.

Percy turned to charge the bellowing giant, but Dax was already there. In his anger, Polybotes hadn't seen him closing the gap. Dax leapt up and sliced the giant's trident clean in half. Polybotes discarded the broken weapon and attempted to crush Dax with his fist, but the boy was faster. He kept dodging the blows and slashing at Polybotes' forearms.

The giant stood up and bellowed in anger and pain. The roar died in his throat when a massive sword erupted from his belly, drenching Dax in ichor. Dax jumped up to Polybotes' knee and used it as a springboard to jump to the giant's chest, where he plunged his sword into its heart.

Polybotes disintegrated with a whimper. Behind him stood Ares, clutching his two-handed sword with a wide grin on his face. "Anyone else?"

"'_A giant's roar, snuffed out by Ares' sword.' _Dude, this is getting creeping." Jack appeared next to Percy.

"I'll start worrying when Apollo starts spouting prophecy haikus." Percy remembered where Jack had disappeared too. "How is she?"

"Unconscious, but she'll live. I left her at the medic station your Apollo campers built, well, second station. The cyclopes' body had crashed into the first one."

"Tyson! Is he…?" Percy's lips quivered.

"He's alive, but he'll be out for a while. Your friend, Will, said that he'd watch him."

"Thanks Jack." Before Percy could say anything else, the boy had sped off towards Otus, whose attacks were getting dangerously close to Leo's wings. Percy charged towards Porphyrion, who was battling Jason and Thalia.

"MOM!" The panic in Annabeth's voice almost dropped Percy to his knees.

Spinning around, Percy spotted Athena crouched behind her shield, which had lost its inside edge to a sword blade. Her spear lay uselessly beside her. Enceladus cast aside his own broken shield and raised his spear to destroy the goddess of wisdom. Percy was getting really sick of always being too far away to help anyone.

A trident caught the spear and twisted it out of the giant's grip. Poseidon blocked the giant's path. Enceladus took a step, intending to rip the sea god to shreds with his bare heads. Ryder ran forward and with a flick of his wrist, wrapped his flaming whip around the giant's leg. With a heavy pull, Enceladus fell onto his back.

Poseidon stepped forward and Ryder jumped onto the giant's chest. Ryder unsheathed his sword and together they stabbed the giant, who screamed and disintegrated. The Titan Boy fell a few feet to the ground with a surprised grunt.

"'_Wisdom's enemy will be without a blade, when the trident comes to her aid.'_ Jack was right, this is getting really weird." Percy said to no one in particular.

"Well, three down, ten to go. Or is it eleven? I can't keep them all straight." Dax walked up behind him, his black cloak covered in ichor. His aura still glowed, but it calmly dimmed as he approached Percy.

"I think it's only nine."

"_Only_." Dax said while he looked around the battlefield.

Annabeth and Poseidon were helping Athena to her feet while Ryder sprinted at Hippolytus, who was under attack from Ares and Frank. The twins were locked in battle with Artemis and Apollo, and Dionysus fought with Hermes against Alcyoneus. Hades was battling the only unnamed giant, while Nico, Skylar, and Hecate grappled with Clytius and his black mist.

"_To storm or fire, the world must fall,_

_Our twins fight with Luna and Sol,_

_While yours cower and run,_

_And Dionysus will have his fun._

_Hephaestus' hammer will come crashing down,_

_And 'Dite looks fabulous in her gown_."

Aphrodite and Jenni sang louder than before, as if they were trying to give everyone enough energy for a final push.

"At least _that_ verse sounded a bit more optimistic." Dax snorted.

"Aphrodite _does_ look pretty good."

Jason and Piper ran past them, chased by Porphyrion. Thalia showered him with arrows, but the giant didn't look like they even hurt. Hazel stood next to her, throwing schist blocks at the giant. Farther away, Hephaestus and his two children attacked Otus viciously. Jack and Octavian limped arm in arm away from the battle, but Percy couldn't tell which boy had been wounded.

Around them, demigods, giants, cyclopes, Amazonians, Hunters, and nature spirits fought hard, but their numbers were still shrinking. The flow of monsters had not slowed. Percy spotted Festus the robot wrestling with a massive boar. Clarisse had apparently beaten a dragon into submission, because she was sitting on its back slashing at monsters. Chiron fired arrows at a drakon's eyes, while a group of Romans tried to get in close and skewer it. Hylla's forklift was toppled by telekhines. One of Tyson's brethren picked the Amazon leader up and crushed her attackers. _We are running out of time_.

"Do you think they have a plan?" Percy asked.

Dax looked at him wistfully. "The gods? No, they would have told us by now."

"This just keeps getting better."

"Don't be so depressing. You might get mistaken for a son of Hades." Percy laughed. "When do you think our special friend in the sky will make an appearance?"

Percy stopped laughing. "He said _at the end_, right? Let's kill these giants first, then we can worry about mystery cloud guy. Come on, Wonder Boy!" Percy charged at the giants, with Dax right on his tail, his aura flaring as he ran.

* * *

"Ryder, is it?" The boy nodded. "Well done. You would make a fine Indiana Jones with that whip." Poseidon said.

Ryder looked at him with confusion. "I'm sorry, sir. Is that a Greek myth?"

Poseidon laughed. "No, not at all. It's an American movie."

"Based on a son of mine, in fact." Athena added. "Help me up, sea spawn."

Poseidon laughed again. He grasped the goddess' hand and lifted her to her feet. "Seems like I have been helping you a lot lately." He smiled smugly. Ryder ran off before missing another pop culture reference.

Athena scowled at him. Annabeth ran to her side. "Mom, are you okay?" The demigod's eyes were full of worry. She had probably never seen her mother bested at anything before.

"Yes, Annabeth, quite alright."

"Miss Chase, I'd like to thank you, while I have the chance, for never giving up on my son." Poseidon said.

"Uh, thank you, sir, but with all due respect, we do _not_ have time for that conversation right now." Annabeth was too frantic to be proud of Poseidon's praise. "Mom, you have a plan, right?

Both Annabeth and Poseidon looked at the goddess of battle strategy eagerly. "I do not know what it will take to put Gaea back to sleep, but I do know that whatever we do must happen soon."

Annabeth looked destroyed. If her mother, the goddess of _wisdom_, didn't have any idea what to do, then was there any hope? Even Poseidon was a little worried. He too had assumed Athena would have at least _some_ general idea. Annabeth shook her head, regaining her composure. "Well then, we have some kind of a backup plan, but I don't know how dangerous it is to count on it." Quickly, Annabeth told the two gods about the mystery voice talking to Percy and Dax and the cloud cover gift.

Athena and Poseidon were shocked. "That is," Athena paused, looking for the right word, "worrisome. But perhaps it will be exactly what we need, and hopefully no more."

"We'll have to be rather lucky for the 'no strings attached' package." Poseidon said grimly.

Annabeth seemed to have the same idea. She nodded. "Okay, well, I'm going to find Percy. The giants need to be taken out first anyway. Be careful, both of you." Annabeth took off without another word.

Poseidon laughed. "What's so funny?" Athena said, turning to him.

"Your daughter." He pointed at the girl, who was running towards Percy and Dax. "She's more worried about us than we are of her."

"I _am_ worried about her."

"Don't be. Our children are the strongest beings on this battlefield, no contest. All _three_ of them, especially together."

Athena frowned at him but didn't respond for a few moments. They watched as Dax and Percy ran toward the giants together. Annabeth was struggling to catch up. "Thank you, Poseidon."

"For what?" The sea god asked innocently, a smug smile started to creep onto his face.

Athena swallowed. "For saving my life." Her voice was quiet.

Poseidon's smile was in full bloom now. "Remember this moment next time you threaten to incinerate my son."

"Oh, I doubt that you will ever let me forget this."

Poseidon laughed. "Let's go. We have to make sure I have the opportunity to remind you for at least another millennia."

"Are you trying to make me fight _for_ Gaea?"

"Don't tempt me." Athena slapped his arm, and the two rivals chased after their children.

Despite his attempt to keep the situation light, Poseidon was feeling increasingly anxious. Annabeth's revelation worried the god. Only two beings had ever claimed the title of Lord of the Sky, and Zeus could be ruled out as the culprit. _A voice, as ancient as Gaea's and as cold as mountain air_. Posedon didn't know what scared him more, the possibilty that he was right, or that he was wrong.


	19. Fear Dies First

**A/N:I own nothing. Please Review. Enjoy!**

**Fear Dies First**

_F__or a skinny guy, he's pretty heavy_, Jack thought as he carried Octavian away from the battle. He spotted a cluster of rocks that would shield them from the monsters and be far enough away from the giants not to be noticed. Pain shot up Jack's leg as his right foot fell into a hole. Octavian yelped at the jarring. Otus had knicked Jack's leg, leaving a gash starting at mid-thigh and traveling down to his calf. Luckily, it wasn't too deep, but without healing it, he wouldn't be able to carry Octavian back to the medical station he had brought the other Roman.

Octavian hadn't been so lucky. Otus and some unnamed giant had forced the two demigods to fight back to back against them. Leo flew overhead and dropped fireballs, but the giants just shrugged off his attacks. The two fought well, jumping over and around each other to fend off the giants' blows, but stationary combat like that just wasn't Jack's style. Jack would have just sprinted away, but he couldn't leave the other boy to die.

Eventually, another god or demigod would have rescued them, but they ran out of time. Otus brought his scythe heavily down on Octavian, who only managed to deflect the blow. The edge of the blade caught Jack's leg, and he cried out in surprise. Octavian thought the injury was worse than it was, and instinctively turned his head to check on Jack. Otus took the opening and kicked the Roman in the chest, sending him flying.

Octavian should have been able to recover, but the giant's snake-foot had made direct contact with the boy's already gaping wound, which widened even further. Blood gushed out of the Roman's front as he stood woozily to his feet.

Jack called for help as dodged a swinging sword and ran to Octavian's side. Skylar shrouded the two in mist, confusing the giants for just a moment, which was long enough for Hades and Keenan to engage them.

Laying Octavian gently in front of the rocks, Jack collapsed beside him. He hadn't realized how tired he was. The amount of sprinting he'd done today was unmatched. Even Apollo himself would be tired.

Jack had not inherited much healing power from his father, probably because of his gift of speed, but it should be enough to heal his leg. Looking at Octavian, a pang of guilty struck his chest. He felt awful thinking about healing himself before the Roman, who was definitely going to die if help didn't come soon.

"Octavian, let me try to heal you."

"No."

Jack shook his head in confusion. "I'm a son of Apollo, I can –"

"No, just help me up. I can't let Jackson and his Greeks take our glory."

Jack had to suppress his laughter. All this kid wanted to do was show up his mortal enemy, even though they were fighting together. He shook his head. "No, you're not going anywhere. Look at yourself."

Octavian coughed and a little blood dripped onto his chin. _He's not going to make it_. Jack frowned. He spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head, Jack saw Percy, Dax, and, a little ways behind, Annabeth, running towards them. Octavian muttered a curse under his breath and coughed up more blood.

"Octavian, I told you not to fight like that." Percy said with hard eyes.

Dax knelt next to the fallen Roman. "Hades, where's Apollo?" The sun god was on the other side of the battle, engaged with Otis.

"Styx."

Octavian and Percy just glared at each other. The Roman coughed, harder this time. More blood spewed from his mouth and the flow from his chest didn't slow.

Annabeth stopped next to Percy, out of breath. Her eyes grew wide when she saw Octavian. "Jack, can you…?" But the words died in her throat when she saw the dark expression on his face. _No_, he mouthed.

For a second, Octavian's eyes grew bright and crazed. "Jackson, if you do anything else to endanger the legion, ever, I swear on the Tiber that me and every stuffed animal I've ever sacrificed will haunt you."

Percy knelt, and eyes softened a little. "I would never, ever dream of it. They're my family too." He paused. "Octavian, which one was it?"

"What?" Percy just stared at him. The Roman put the pieces together. "The ugly one." Octavian started coughing again. "Otus."

Octavian closed his eyes, and his breathing slowed. Percy nodded and stood. Percy just mentally added another reason to his list of why he was going to personally obliterate that giant.

Jack was in awe of the demigod. Octavian, the boy who almost got the Romans to destroy Percy's home, had, on his deathbed, threatened Percy, and Percy responded by intending to avenge him. How had Leo described Percy? _The most powerful and the most loyal demigod ever_. That pretty much summed it up.

"Jack, heal your leg. We've got to go." Dax said.

Without waiting for his response, Percy and Annabeth took off towards the battle. Dax gave Jack a look like _here we go again_, sighed, and ran after them. Jack wrapped his hand around his wound and muttered a few words in ancient Greek.

After only a few moments, the gash closed up into a white scar. "Jack, don't let Jackson do anything stupid enough to blow this." Octavian's eyes remained shut.

Jack couldn't suppress his laughter any longer. "Don't worry, Octavian, we'll keep him at just the right level of stupid."

The Roman groaned. "Hopefully that level will be better, and better will turn out to be good enough."

_Maybe better is good enough_. Jack smiled. "Save a spot for me in Elysium, will you?"

"As long as you don't bring Jackson and his friends. They'll just ruin that for me too." Jack could barely here Octavian breathing now, but he still didn't want to leave the kid to die alone.

"What _did_ they do to you?"

"Their ship fired on New Rome and led us to war."

"Don't' be so negative. They aren't _all_ bad." Jack tried to keep his voice light with humor.

After a few moments without getting a response, Jack checked Octavian's pulse. He was gone. The son of Apollo stood up and dusted himself off. His leg felt fully healed.

Ahead, Percy, Dax, and Annabeth were pummeling Alcyoneus. Jack smiled and took off at full speed. He didn't care what Octavian or anyone else said. Jack was going to follow the sons of Poseidon wherever they went. He wasn't afraid when he fought next to them and his gut told him that next to them was the safest place to be.

* * *

Zeus' head throbbed. He hadn't felt pain like this since the Argo II had fired upon New Rome, and this was still worse. When he could no longer conceal it, Zeus allowed his body to flicker to Jupiter and back. The other gods mistook his pain for the Greek-Roman schism, even after all their headaches had ceased. Zeus would not allow them to see his weakness.

In truth, Zeus couldn't think straight out of fear. When Percy and Annabeth fell into the pit, he feared the world was doomed. When they _escaped_, and closed the Doors, he feared the demigods. They had performed a feat that no other being, including the gods, could have achieved, and that terrified Zeus. Percy Jackson had declined his offer of godhood, which frustrated Zeus. The boy had the audacity to imply that being a mortal was better in some way than being a god. Zeus feared that escaping Tartarus somehow proved his point.

After the Argo II had left New Rome burning, Zeus had promised the council that they would assist the demigods if they closed the Doors. Despite his fear of Poseidon's son, he was going to begrudgingly allow the council to assist them in Athens, but they never made it to Athens.

Gaea had beaten the ancient magic, and was intending to sacrifice Percy and Annabeth. Zeus forbade the gods to aid them. Then, the Mutt and his crew of outcasts saved the pair while the Flotilla collected the now united Greek and Roman heroes. After Poseidon and Hermes revealed the Panama incident, Zeus feared the Mutt even more than Poseidon's other son. If he could kill giants, could he kill gods too? Together the two sons of the sea would be unstoppable.

Then they all reached Olympus, where Zeus' daughter was being offered as a sacrifice instead. Zeus wanted to see how powerful these demigods truly were, but each one of their actions only made him fear them more. Together, with his own son and the Titan Boy, who was another problem, they created a storm the likes of which had never been seen and wiped out thousands of monsters in minutes. Zeus still forbade the gods to aid them.

The giants were summoned and the demigods fought them. Dax destroyed one giant in a way that scared the other gods as well as Zeus. That giant, Gration, would never be able to reform. An immortal had been truly killed, for the first time since Kronos had slain Ouranos. Zeus still forbade the gods to aid them.

Poseidon had asked him what more the demigods needed to prove, but he asked it in the wrong way. Poseidon wanted to know what else was needed to _deserve_ help. Zeus wanted the demigods to prove that they _needed_ help. In Zeus' eyes, that would undo the damage Jackson had done to their reputation. It would also alleviate his fears that one day the demigods would do to the council what the council had done to their own parents. One son of Hermes had almost succeeded already. Zeus would never admit it, but he thought the demigods assembled at the foot of Olympus would succeed, even without help from Kronos.

Now, the rest of the gods had disobeyed his orders and made Zeus look like a coward. He only wished he could have explained his real reasoning to them, but he still would have looked like a coward. The pain in his head doubled.

On screen, Ares and the Mutt slew the bane of Poseidon, while the sea god saved Athena's life and, with the Titan Boy, destroyed Enceladus. Not only were the demigods proving that they didn't need the gods, the rest of the council was proving that they didn't need their king. Zeus was paralyzed with fear, which scared him even more because that was not supposed to happen to _him_.

Zeus wished Hestia was here. His sister always had a way to calm him, and warm his courage, but Hestia had left the throne room after the Parthenon. She was angry that Zeus would not aid the demigods then, and refused to return. Zeus could only imagine how angry she was with him now, and Hestia _never_ got angry. The embers of her hearth glowed, but very dimly.

Slowly, Hera got off her throne and knelt at Zeus's feet. "My husband, my king, I believe it is time. I know I took an incredibly dangerous risk, but it has paid off. Now it is our turn to risk something for the demigods."

Zeus knew that Hera had only defended his inaction to the council because she was afraid of being thrown out of Olympus again. She wanted to fight with the rest of the gods. He remained silent.

"I know you fear those particular demigods, Zeus." Zeus opened his mouth to deny it. "Don't try it. I am your wife and I know you. I can say from experience and observation that your fears are groundless, at least with that group. The love Poseidon, Athena, and the rest have for the children is shared by their children."

Hera paused, as if bracing herself for her next statement. "As is the love you _show_ for your children." Zeus swallowed. "Don't explain yourself. I understand, as king of the gods, you cannot give them special treatment. You're hands are often tied even more than Poseidon's or Hades'. But they need you now. Your brothers need you now. Do not give substance to their fears that you are just a stubborn, old god, who doesn't care for them, and they will not give any substance to your own."

The King of the Gods stood, but still remained silent. He bent to take his wife's hands into his and lifted her to her feet. "Don't think that speech means you will not be punished for your actions when this is over."

Hera's image shimmered, and then Juno stood in front of Zeus in full armor. "Let's make sure you have the chance." Juno gave him a small smile.

Zeus didn't return the smile. He was not happy, but his courage had returned and killed the fear in his heart. With a flash, he was dressed in his own armor and holding his master bolt.

"Demeter! We are –" Zeus stopped when he realized his sister had left the room without either of them noticing. _Oh, Hades is really going to kill her now_.

Zeus looked back at Juno, who nodded. In a brilliant flash, the king and queen disappeared from the throne room. In the floating image of the battle, a matching flash dissipated and the two gods stood ready for war.

Hestia shimmered into view in front her hearth with a smile. The fire warmed and burned a brilliant, but calm red over ten feet into the air.


	20. You Really Don't Wanna Make Me Angry

**A/N: I own nothing. Sorry that the past few chapters haven't been quite as good as earlier ones. Hopefully this is better! Enjoy and if you take the time to read this far please review! It means a lot, thanks.**

**You Really Don't Wanna Make Me Angry**

Percy's insides wrenched. He hated Octavian, but that didn't mean he deserved to die. The augur was just another demigod who shouldn't have had to die for this war. Even though he attempted to destroy Percy's home, Octavian died a hero, and Percy was going to make sure he was remembered as one. But they had to win the war first.

Running towards the battle, Percy did a headcount. Ten gods and thirteen heroes were left to battle the remaining nine giants. Their numbers should be a huge advantage, but as Percy drew closer to the battle, he saw the giants were holding their own. Jason had a gash on his cheek. Ryder looked tired, his chest heaving with every breath. Hermes was bleeding ichor from his side and Hades staff had broken in two. Everyone looked panicked.

Alcyoneus slashed at Percy, who met his staff with Riptide. Annabeth slinked around him and drove her ivory sword into Alcyoneus' forearm. The giant lashed out at her with his other fist and she rolled underneath the blow. Percy stepped forward and drove Riptide into Alcyoneus' knee.

A golden comet hurtled into the giant's chest. Alcyoneus fell backwards with a surprised cry. Jack drove his dagger into his eye and then sprinted towards Skylar, who was struggling with Nico to contain Clytius' black mist.

Dax leapt onto Alcyoneus chest and raised his blade for the kill. A massive club swung towards him, and Dax was only barely able to block it. The impact still launched him over Percy's head. Dax landed heavily, and he was slow to get to his feet. Annabeth jumped over the fallen giant to engage Dax's attacker, but she had to throw herself out of the way of his falling body. From behind, Hephaestus kicked the giant to the ground. The god raised his Warhammer to crush his target, but he rolled away with surprising agility.

"Percy, this is bad!" Annabeth shouted as she ran to him.

Alcyoneus climbed to his feet and growled at the demigods. "You think?" Percy said as he ran to meet the giant.

"Look! They are fighting as a team!"

Observations flashed through his mind. The other giant had saved Alcyoneus. Looking around, he saw Gaea's other children fighting in pairs and trios. They were defending each other and fighting in tandem, much like the gods and demigods. Even worse, their power was still growing. Their attacks were more patient and disciplined. A chill ran down Percy's spine. He forced himself to refocus on Aphrodite and Jenni's song.

"_To storm or fire, the world must fall,_

_In the end, the children will save us all._

_The Big Three will spare no expense,_

_When they obliterate your defense._

_Your end is coming, Earth Mother,_

_Scattered by glorious thunder."_

"Too bad we seem to be short on gods of thunder." Percy snorted and swung Riptide at the Bane of Hades.

* * *

They finally figured out how to slow him down, and Jack had walked right into it. _Stupid black mist. Stupid giant. Stupid me_. Without thinking, Jack had sprinted at Clytius, thinking that he was too fast for the mist to do any harm. He'd be pumping the giant full of arrows before he knew what hit him, right? Wrong.

Jack took one step into the mist, and immediately regretted it. The mist was hungry. The darkness wanted to devour him, to make him disappear. Jack's soul felt tired and heavy. He wanted to sleep. His knees threatened to buckle. Clytius smiled down at him.

There was nothing Jack could do. The giant's mist was pulling him down like a gravitational pull. Jack closed his eyes and fought it with every ounce of energy he could muster. The weight dragging him down lifted off him, and Jack opened his eyes.

The pale, dark-haired boy who had been chained, Nico, was standing in front of him. The boy's black, Stygian iron sword was a magnet, soaking up all the dark mist that had surrounded Jack. Clytius' smile turned to a sneer as if to say _I will crush you_.

Jack's legs felt like jello, and he stumbled. Skylar caught his arm and steadied him. "Jack, are you alright?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm alright. I'm just a little tired."

"That was really brave."

"Styx. It was really stupid."

Skylar stepped in front of him and gave him a light kiss on the lips. Jack's heart fluttered. "No." She brushed a lock of blond hair out of his eyes. Jack could feel his strength returning. "You didn't know. You have to go help the others. This one's tricky."

"I can see that. Be careful, Sky." She smiled warmly and walked to Nico's side, white mist curling around her.

Jack took off, without any real objective in mind other than causing chaos. Skylar's kiss gave him strength and hope, but exhaustion crept around the edge of his consciousness. He could feel it at the corners of his eyes, and when he released a volley of arrows at Hippolytus. After they flew from his bow, his body didn't want to move on, it wanted to sleep. He didn't know if it was the battle dragging on, the excessive amount of running, or his close call with the mist. _Probably some combination of the three_.

Sprinting past Percy, Jack slashed Alcyoneus in the leg and kept running. Artemis was battling Mimas, who was facing away from Jack. His volley of arrows traced the giant's spine. Mimas howled, and Artemis and Jack closed in.

Before Jack could get close enough to strike, blinding pain erupted from his side, and he was thrown into the air. Landing in a heap, Jack tried to get to his feet but the pain was too much. He fell onto his back. Shaking the red out of his vision, Jack saw a giant with a massive, spiked club standing over him poised to finish the job. Blood dripped from the spike that had impaled Jack's side.

As the giant began to bring his club down, a fiery whip lashed out and wrapped around the giant's wrist, halting the attack. Ryder yanked heavily on the whip, and the giant staggered backward. Poseidon, standing behind the Titan Boy, drove his trident into the ground. The earth started to shake, and a fissure spread from the impact towards the giant, who recovered fast enough to avoid falling to his death.

"Legion!" a voice cried, but Jack couldn't turn his head far enough to see its owner.

A large group of legionnaire skeletons charged into his field of vision. The giant swatted the first wave away, but there were too many. Dozens more skeletons jumped onto the giant at full sprint speed. He staggered backward into the fissure, and fell, screaming. Poseidon removed his trident from the ground, and the fissure closed.

Ryder was already running to Jack. He dropped into a baseball slide and stopped right in front of the injured boy. Jack choked on the dust that Ryder kicked up.

"Sorry. Styx, Jack, you've got to pay better attention." Ryder examined the wound.

"Not my fault. I was _so_ gonna kill that other one." Jack coughed.

Poseidon walked over to the two boys. He glanced at the wound and his eyes went wide. Turning towards the battlefield, he yelled, "APOLLO!"

In a few seconds, a golden flash forced Jack to squeeze his eyes shut. He blinked a few times, and saw Apollo standing over him, looking grim. The sun god was dressed in golden armor and glowed faintly. His golden bow was slung across his back. Jack caught his breath. _Gods, it's like looking in a mirror_.

"Hey, Dad." Jack said sheepishly.

He had only met his father twice. Jack was born in Germany, to a United States diplomat and daughter of Hermes named Dana Farrell. One night, when Jack was six, dracaena women attacked their apartment. Fearing the worst, she had sprinkled Celestial Bronze dust over Jack, hoping for the gods to protect him, and had gone to fight the monsters. She killed all of the dracaena, but was fatally wounded. Apollo had found Jack curled up next to his mother's body, sobbing. Because of Jack's legacy, age, and unique gift, Apollo took him to the Flotilla for safety. When Jack was twelve, Apollo appeared to him on his first quest and told him the whole story.

Guilt mixed in with the worry in Apollo's eyes as he examined his son. "Hades, Jack, you have got to pay better attention."

"That's what I said." Ryder muttered under his breath, masking it with a cough. Poseidon grinned softly at him.

"Jack, I will heal you, but you are done fighting today." Jack tried to sit up and groaned in pain. "Easy there, kiddo. This is gonna hurt." Apollo turned to the onlookers. "Get Jason. Jack needs to get to the infirmary."

Poseidon and Ryder stood and tried to get the son of Jupiter's attention. Apollo placed his hand on Jack's side. Apollo's touch was warm, but the heat began to build. Jack grimaced as his side burned up.

"I _knew_ your gift would come in handy. You did well, Jack." Apollo flashed a blinding smile, "You were braver than all of us gods and me especially, but don't tell your Aunt Arty I said that." He winked.

Jack smiled proudly. He wanted to say something, anything, to his father, but the pain in his side kept increasing, choking the words in his throat. Apollo smiled and nodded knowingly. Black crept into his vision.

Jason Grace landed heavily next to Apollo. Jack was losing his grip on consciousness and couldn't make out their conversation. The son of Jupiter lifted Jack over his shoulder as gently as he could, but pain still flared out of his side. Jack completely blacked out.

* * *

No word could possibly describe how much anger was coursing through Dax's blood like lava. So many frustrating things had boiled together in the same pot over the past few hours. Just the appearance of Gration and his siblings had started the ball rolling. He was miffed how long it took the gods to get their lazy, immortal butts down to the battle, and when they do show up, the King of the Gods had the audacity to sit on his throne and watch! And of course, the gods can't use their divine forms to simply squash the giants.

Now, they still didn't have a plan, and that ugly son of a gorgon had just swatted him away from another kill. Dax unconsciously growled, but forced himself to take a few deep breaths as he stood. This wasn't Panama, not yet. Dax still had control.

He had pretty much figured out that anger was his fatal flaw. When people got hurt around him, or when things went wrong, he snapped. So far, it had saved lives, but Dax was afraid today was the day he'd get someone he cared about killed. He couldn't let that happen.

The sensation of the aura surrounding him was the strangest thing Dax had ever felt. His skin was on fire, but the warmth he felt was more like from the sun on a clear day. The flames radiating outward seemed to be made of light rather than heat. The angrier he got the brighter and bigger the aura got. Right now, it glowed over a foot away from his skin.

When he saw the figure stalking towards him, his breath caught in his throat. Gaea's mud body was heading right for him. She seemed to somehow notice without eyes that he had seen her. Dirt rose up from the earth and formed a blade in her hands.

Dax recovered from his shock, and his anger returned, even stronger now. _That_ body was the reason his friends were dead. _That_ body was the reason they were fighting for their very existence right now. _That_ body, was _so_ going be destroyed. He felt more than saw the aura around him flare golden.

_Yes, Mutt, let your anger flow. It will destroy you easier than I will._

Gaea was only yards away from Dax now. He had to bite back his rage "Oh, yeah? 'Cause I'm pretty sure you're the one on the receiving end of this. Although, I think my friend in the sky would like to kill you himself." _Now or never, Cloud Guy_. Despite his anger, Dax noticed Gaea's body had a glow of its own, and if Gaea had challenged to battle her directly, then she had no intention of losing. He could really sue some extra help from their guardian angel.

His bluff struck a cord with the Earth Mother, and her mud body faltered for a moment. If her eyes were open, Dax imagined they would have narrowed in surprise, and hopefully fear too. Gaea knew that Dax was not talking about Zeus. In that second, Dax's eyes danced around to take in the rest of the battle. Only eight giants still stood. They were grouping together in a defensive huddle while the heroes and gods closed in. Only Jack and Jason weren't with them. _NO! No one else needs to get hurt._ Dax's entire body burned with anger, but, with considerable effort, he reined it in.

"He should be here any minute now. He said something about really, really wanting you dead."

_You are a fool, Mutt. You do not understand what powers you speak of. _

A brilliant flash blinded Dax momentarily. When it died, two gods, who Dax could only assume were Zeus and Hera, stood between their allies and the giants.

"Well, it's about time you got here, you overgrown bug zapper!" Dax yelled and charged Gaea, hoping she was distracted by the sudden arrival even though the mud body didn't move.

Zeus glared at Dax, and then loosed a massive lightning bolt that connected with Porphyrion with a thunderclap. The giant's phalanx broke and the gods and demigods charged.


	21. Out of Time

**A/N: I own nothing. Sorry I've been slower updating lately. I'm getting ready to go back to school, but I want to finish the story in the next few weeks. Will there be a sequel ;) who knows? Strap in, ladies and gentlemen, the ride's only gonna get wilder from here. Please R&R! Enjoy!**

**Out of Time**

"Well, it's about time you got here, you overgrown bug zapper!"

Leo wasn't sure that was the best thing to say to a visibly angry god of thunder, but Zeus' lightning bolt took a chunk out of Porphyrion instead of his loudmouth nephew-grandson. If what Leo had heard about the Big Three's ability to hold grudges was true, Dax would get his later.

The concussion wave scattered the remaining giants, and the gods and heroes charged at them. Otis and Ephilates looked terrified, but Pophyrion and Alcyoneus were just angry at their attackers.

If nothing else, Gaea's children were determined. With foot stomps from the elder giants, a hundred more earthborn warriors sprung up between the factions. With renewed courage, the giants waded forward, eager to fight.

The earthborn would not have been a problem with the gods' help, except the surrounding battle collapsed inward. A few nearby demigod warriors attacked the newly summoned earthborn, and before long, the gods and giants were fighting through a sea of bodies.

As Leo flew around the battle, dropping firebombs on Gaea's minions, he realized he was the only one of his friends to see the battle devolve into chaos. Without his vantage point, the other heroes couldn't help but think that the demigod army had been scattered.

Leo flew low over Percy fighting with Annabeth and Piper towards Dax, who was locked in combat with Gaea's mud body. _Oh gods, that's not a good sign_. Overhead, the sky began to darken and clouds swirled menacingly over the battlefield. Leo gulped. He had a feeling that it wasn't Zeus' doing.

_Focus, Repair Boy_. Shaking his head, Leo scanned the battle and spotted Hephaestus's warhammer connect with Otus' scythe. Leo retrieved his own hammer from his tool belt and flew at the giant.

In drive-by style, Leo flew past Otus and bashed him on the head with his flaming hammer. Leo completed a few more passes, but the giant's thick skull protected him from any real damage. That didn't mean he didn't think of Leo as a pest.

After mentally thanking Keenan for making the wings fireproof, Leo dove at Otus from above. Just before Leo barreled into his target, Otus parried a strike from Hephaestus, and, without stopping, swung his scythe upward and sheared off Leo's right wing.

Leo spun in midair and landed heavily on his back. Shaking his head to clear his vision, he realized he was sitting in a smoldering crater a few feet deep. Like a meteor crashing into earth, Leo's fiery aura saved him from becoming a burnt pancake.

"Come to avenge your ship, little one?" Otus cackled at him.

"You're pretty cocky considering we've killed half of your brothers already." Otus deflected another blow from Hephaestus. "Come on, ugly! Fight me!"

Otus simply snarled at him. "You are too late to stop the Earth Mother. She will rise, and you will die. But you? You are not worth my time."

"Oh, but am I, Otus old friend?" Three massive golden arrows burrowed into the back of the giant's neck. Apollo stood where a Laistrygonian giant had been a moment before, golden dust swirling around him. The god flashed a blinding smile.

"Apollo! It's been so long." Otus spun around, swinging his scythe at Apollo, who blocked the blow with his golden bow, which must have been a lot stronger than it looked. "I understand you enjoy dancing. Shall we?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Apollo said through gritted teeth.

The sun god spun out from under the scythe and drove the end of his bow into Otus's side. The giant cried out in surprise as ichor flowed down his leg. Otus jumped backward, evading a crushing blow from Hephaestus.

"Sorry Hephaestus, it only takes two to tango. And three's a crowd." Otus said as he swung at the god of forges. Hephaestus had to drop his hammer in order to leap out of the way in time.

Leo had no choice but to watch from the sidelines. Otus was right, he wasn't worth the effort. He was useful when he was the only one who could repair and fly the Argo II and the giant had taken that away. His hammer was laughable compared to Riptide, or even Katoptris. But he had the gift his father had given to him that few children of Hephaestus got to see, let alone wield. That had to count for something, right? Hephaestus saw something in Leo. He couldn't let him down.

Otus brought up his scythe to fend off an attack from Apollo. Hephaestus ran and tackled the giant from behind, toppling Apollo in the process. The three immortals scrambled in a heap, all three having lost their weapons. Otus crawled on his hands and knees towards his scythe.

His body flaming again, Leo took off at Otus. That giant was finally going to pay for destroying Leo's ship.

As Otus got to his feet, he was bombarded by rockets of flame fired off in quick succession from Leo's fingertips. One flame connected with Otus' eye. He howled in pain and swiped at his attacker. Leo rolled out of the way, but Otus was totally focused on him now.

The giant didn't notice that Apollo had recovered his bow and was taking aim at him. Apollo let loose a torrent of arrows that connected with every joint and weak spot Otus had. Otus roared and slashed behind him, but only cut through empty air. Apollo smiled smugly and buried another storm of arrows in the giant's chest.

Hephaestus had recovered his hammer and took that moment to leap over Leo. The hammer's head was on fire, and it came down heavily on Otus' shoulder. Otus crumpled to the ground writhing in pain.

Apollo stood over the fallen giant and notched a single golden arrow. "On your mark, Leo."

Leo totally forgot that they needed him to finish off the giant. "Oh, right." He walked next to Otus' head and summoned a fireball the size of his own body. "This is for the Argo II, and for being uglier than a gorgon, but mostly for the Argo II!"

Apollo huffed in agreement and launched his arrow at the same time Leo dropped his fireball. Otus disintegrated with a poof.

A heavy hand clapped Leo on the back, sending him stumbling forward. "Well done, boy."

Leo beamed at his father. The ground started to shake, stopping him from responding. The rumble didn't die out. "Well, doesn't that sound wonderful?" Apollo mused.

The rumble grew in intensity, and Leo struggled to stay on his feet. The disturbance was clearly coming from the center of the battlefield, where the closest combatants had stopped fighting to watch something.

"Let's go!" Leo yelled.

"Aren't you supposed to run _away_ from earthquakes, explosions, and other things that generally kill people?" Apollo asked.

"Nope, it usually means you're going the right way." Leo ran towards the heart of the battle, followed by Hephaestus. Apollo sighed and charged after them, launching arrows at monsters as he ran.

* * *

An earthborn disintegrated as Jason plunged his sword into its chest. He ducked as Ryder's whip lashed over his head to slice through another half dozen enemies.

"Where are you going?" Ryder called as Jason took off running again, slashing at anything in his way.

Jason was too frantic to respond. He and Ryder had lost all of their friends when the giants summoned the earthborn. Piper was with Percy and Annabeth. Jason was doing his best to fight towards where he had last seen them, but he was quickly becoming disoriented in the sea of enemies. Together, they could come up with a plan, but he had to find them first. He had no idea how much of the demigod army was still intact. They didn't have much time.

"Piper! Percy!" Jason screamed at the top of his lungs. No one answered. Jason could barely hear his own voice over the noise of the battle.

Practically dizzy with panic, Jason didn't see the giant until he had run into its leg. Jason fell onto his butt, and Otis tripped over him. Ephialtes was right behind him. The twins were dressed in the same horrifying leotards as when Percy and Jason had fought them in the Coliseum, except now they were scorched and full of holes.

"Well, son of Jupiter, how nice to see you again!" Ephialtes said, his eyes narrowing in disgust. "I'm sorry our last performance was sub-par. I'm glad we have the chance to make it up to you."

Jason rolled to his feet as the Big F drove his spear into the ground where he was just lying. Otis got back to his feet and the twins circled around Ryder and Jason.

"Old friends of yours?" Ryder asked.

"Oh, we go way back." Jason hissed at Otis, who was practically frothing at the mouth.

"Brother! This new one's armor is quite stylish." Otis cried.

"You can keep it, once we kill them. Heroes, we apologize for not having our usually extravagance. This show was last minute, but our audience calls for a classic. So your deaths will be old-fashioned. A shame, really."

Ryder's whip shot out and slashed Ephilates across the chest. The giant growled and lunged. Ryder met the spear with his sword, while he wrapped his whip around Ephialtes leg. The flames burned the giant's bare skin. Seeing him off-balance, Ryder kicked his opponent in the chest, sending him flying.

"You're right. Old-fashioned is _so_ boring." Ryder taunted.

Otis was momentarily distracted by his brother's fall, and Jason blasted him in the chest with lightning. Jason leapt forward and thrust his sword at Otis' gut, but the giant recovered quickly and deflected the blow.

Grinning, Otis turned on the offense. He swung his spear like a club. Jason blocked the strike with his sword, but the force pushed him backwards almost two yards. Even though the spear's shaft wasn't sharp, Jason had no doubt it would've sawed him in half. Summoning the winds, Jason was able to relieve some of the pressure from Otis' spear. With a thrust of his own sword, Jason threw the spear into the air and rolled forward. He banged the hilt of his sword on Otis' nose and then cut a deep gash across the giant's midsection. Otis stumbled backward. His hands flew to his gut and came back covered in ichor. Otis laughed madly.

"Splendid! Tell me, demigod, what kind of show would it be if you just rolled over? A poor one, and I should know, we've had a few of those."

For the first time all day, Jason felt fear chill every bone in his body. Otis' wound would have slain any monster or demigod, but the giant just stood there, laughing in Jason's face. Before his eyes, the flow of ichor slowed and the gash began to heal.

Otis smiled wickedly. Lightning fast, the giant lashed out with his spear. Jason dodged right. Otis followed with another powerful blow. Jason ducked and rolled forward, but Otis saw the move coming. His snake foot caught Jason in the chest and sent him flying into the air. Jason was able to slow his fall using the wind, but he couldn't heal himself. It felt like a plate of hot lava held was being held on his chest.

Otis was taking his time advancing on the fallen demigod, but Jason still needed to buy himself more time. The giant twirled his spear lazily, calling out pointers on fighting style to his brother. Wincing from the effort, Jason concentrated on the wind. A gust caught Otis' spear mid-twirl and launched it ten feet behind him.

A startled look crossed Otis face, but the crazed smile quickly returned. "Wonderful idea, demigod! Your death will be that much more entertaining by hand."

The giant advanced faster, a greedy look in his eyes.

"I don't know about that, giant." A voice called from above. Hermes glided in between Otis and Jason on his winged boots, his golden sword pointed at the giant's throat.

"Yes, I'm afraid that much gore would detract from the quality of the show. You should know at least _that_ much, Otis."

The giant spun around to see Dionysus's pinecone staff connect violently with his side. Otis stumbled. His confidence had quickly evaporated with the gods' appearance. His eyes flitted between them, unsure which god to fear more. "Brother!"

Ryder's two weapon fighting style had allowed him to fair better than Jason, but he was visibly tiring. He was breathing heavily and his sword shook ever so slightly in his hand. Ephialtes fell in line with his brother, giving Ryder a much needed rest.

Jason painfully got to his feet. Hermes flicked his wrist and Jason's sword flew back to his hand. The demigod nodded in thanks. The four warriors closed in on the two giants, who were shaking in fear.

Otis turned and ran, trying to escape into the chaos of the battle.

"I don't think so."

Dionysus snapped his fingers. A giant tentacle of a grape vine erupted from the earth and wrapped around the fleeing giant like a boa constrictor while lifting him into the air. Otis cried out in surprise, his voice gone shrill. The tentacle squeezed. The giant's eyes bulged in their sockets. His cry died to a faint whimper.

"Jerry, if you will." Dionysus made a shoo-ing motion with his hand. Hermes snickered quietly.

Suppressing the pain, Jason leapt into the air and willed the winds to carry him upward towards the captured giant. He flew around Otis a few times, toying with him, before stopping only a few inches from the giant's face.

"If it makes you feel any better, it was a _great_ show."

Otis seemed momentarily pleased by the thought. Jason didn't give him time to retort. With a thrust of his sword, Otis disintegrated and the tentacle retreated into the ground.

Below him, Ryder's whip wrapped around Ephialtes' neck, bringing him to his knees. Hermes plunged his sword into the giant's chest. Ephialtes exploded into dust.

Jason heard the ground start to rumble. Dionysus and Hermes exchanged a worried glance.

"Jason, what's happening?" Ryder called.

Just then he noticed that the center of the battlefield was quiet and still. All of the combatants turned to look at some spectacle.

"This way!" Jason called.

He flew low and slow enough for Ryder and the two gods to follow. They were able to keep up easily as monsters and demigods alike parted for them. Luckily, it wasn't far.

Jason set down in clearing. Before he could absorb his surroundings, Piper tackled him in a hug so violent he almost fell over. Ryder, Dionysus, and Hermes broke into the clearing right behind him. Percy and Annabeth stood to their right, looking absolutely horrified. Dax lay at their feet in a heap, as though he had just fallen. Past them, Leom Hephaestus, and Apollo burst into the clearing.

Fifty feet in front of their little group, Gaea's mud body stood with outstretched arms. Jason was close enough to make out her features easily. She was glowing brightly. The rumble was clearly coming directly from her.

"What's happening?" Jason asked quietly.

Percy shook his head, his jaw slack. Dax snarled as he stood and dusted himself off. Annabeth didn't even register his question. Piper only gripped him tighter. He could tell she was on the verge of tears.

As if answering his question, Gaea's voice echoed around him, as if the ground was speaking.

_I wake!_

Gaea's eyelids shot open, but there were no eyes. Only blood-red orbs glowing brilliantly with loathing.


	22. Back Against the Wall

**A/N: I own nothing. I'm really sorry it's been a full week. Back at school it's hard to fit it all in.**

**I hope you guys are as excited as I am. Only a few chapters of the battle left! Please R&R, I really appreciate it. Enjoy!**

**Back Against the Wall**

A blast of energy from Poseidon's trident demolished a column of approaching earthborn. A broad swipe disintegrated a dozen more enemies approaching from behind.

The god of the sea easily swept aside any enemy who dared cross his path as he made his way towards Zeus, who was swinging his Master Bolt like a sword at Porphyrion.

In the chaos of the battle, Poseidon had lost track of the demigods. Before the earthborn had been summoned, he had seen Dax battling Gaea one on one. He hoped that Percy and Annabeth had found him by now.

A hundred feet beyond Zeus, Hades was dodging blows from Alcyoneus' staff while blasting the giant with black energy. Hopefully Hades could hold out by himself until they had finished with Porphyrion.

Zeus and Porphyrion were a perfectly even match. Neither could gain the upper hand. Porphyrion read Zeus' feint and blocked the following strike. Zeus recovered and deflected the counter attack. Their battle was more like a violent dance. It was almost beautiful.

Poseidon decided to tip the scales. When he got within striking range, he thrust his trident forward, intending to skew the giant in the side. But Porphyrion had seen him in his peripheral vision. He leapt backward, dodging both gods' attacks.

Porphyrion gripped his spear in both hands. He swung it back and forth between the gods, daring one to attack first.

"Oh, Zeus, you need your big brother's help now? And here I thought you were a king! Still, Poseidon, I'm sorry to say you won't make a difference now. It seems your children have finally gotten wise and abandoned you."

More than anything else, Poseidon wished that there was a god of irony. If that were the case, one of the demigods would appear behind the giant as if to say _jokes on you, buddy_! Unfortunately, the Fates weren't in a generous mood. Porphyrion could distract them here as long as he'd like, and he knew it too.

"Brother, could you do the chop-into-a-million-pieces routine again?" Poseidon asked.

"That could be arranged. But you're cleaning up the mess, I still have stains on my armor from last time."

Porphyrion snarled at the idea.

"Let's leave it for Hera."

"I can live with that."

Zeus launched a blast of lightning at Porphyrion. Any being on the receiving end of the Master Bolt should be pleading for their very existence, but the giant only looked amused. Porphyrion raised a hand and collected the energy from the attack into a ball the size of his head.

"Tsk-tsk. Zeus, you should know better than to try that old trick. After all, I was born to destroy _you_."

The giant thrust his hand forward. The ball of energy flew forward and blasted Zeus in the chest. Zeus fell flat on the ground, his chestplate smoldering. Poseidon charged. Porphyrion lunged with his spear, and Poseidon caught the weapon between the prongs of his trident.

"You, Sea God, are another story." Porphyrion said through gritted teeth. He retracted his spear and swung it like a bat. Poseidon blocked the blow. He tried to twist the spear out of the giant's grip, but Porphyrion spun out of the counter.

"It's a shame Polybotes was slain so early. You two could have had a lot of fun. No matter, you cannot defeat us today, regardless of how many of my brothers you defeat. Gaea will rise, and we will be reborn."

"Not Gration." Zeus was back on his feet, closing in on Porphyrion from the other direction.

The giant's face darkened. "_That_ was a spectacle none of us will ever witness again. Your Mutt is powerful, Poseidon. It's a shame he'll be dead before the sun sets."

Rage filled Poseidon. The ichor in his veins boiled. The ground started to shake beneath them. At first, all three immortals thought Poseidon's anger caused it. Quickly, they realized he wasn't the source. A smile spread across Porphyrion's face and the giant laughed.

"You are too late! Gaea will rise at any moment. We will rip up your roots within the hour. Goodbye Olympus!"

Poseidon cut the giant's celebration short with a vicious swipe of his trident. Porphyrion barely reacted in time to block the attack. Poseidon released and thrust forward. The spear lodged itself in between the trident's prongs. This time, Poseidon advanced, the trident sliding down the spear until it was pointed at Porphyrion's chest. The tips of his trident began to glow with energy.

"I may not be able to kill you, but I can make you wish you were dead." Poseidon snarled.

The sea god suddenly found himself on top of the giant, whose back was now on the ground. While keeping his trident pressed down on the spear, Poseidon turned and saw a large boar. It had skidded to a stop after gouging Porphyrion in the back of the leg. Ichor dripped from one massive tusk.

Zeus stood over the struggling combatants. He couldn't blast Porphyrion without Poseidon becoming collateral damage. The king of the gods was temporarily useless, but the boar wasn't.

The crazed animal stamped its front foot and charged again. As it neared their battle, its form shifted and morphed into a large boy about Percy's age. _Frank Zhang_.

"You were saying something about a lack of demigods?" Poseidon asked.

Porphyrion spat in his face. "Gaea will bring me back, but I won't see you again. By that time, you will be long dead."

Frank ran to the giant and plunged his sword into his side. Porphyrion howled in pain and his strength faltered for just a moment. Poseidon applied more pressure to his trident. The giant's arms buckled, and the trident's prongs sand into his chest. Porphyrion disappeared in cloud of dust.

Poseidon got to his feet quickly, and was about to thank the demigod when Zeus interrupted him.

"Poseidon…" His voice shook with fear.

Following his gaze, Poseidon looked to the center of the battlefield, and his heart sank. Gaea's form was rising in a hurricane of soil and rock. She was already thirty feet tall.

Without a word, Frank turned into a dragon and flew right at Gaea. Poseidon decided to follow his example.

"Hades!" Poseidon yelled as he spun around.

A blast of energy flew from his trident and struck Alcyoneus in the side. The giant was launched a football field's length away from the Lord of the Underworld. Hades nodded in thanks, but his eyes grew wide when he saw Gaea.

"Go!" He shouted back.

Zeus threw a colossal lightning bolt. A chuck of rock the size of a garbage truck was blasted out of her shoulder, but more earth began to swirl up and repair the wound. Fingers of black and blue energy flew forward and struck the Earth Mother, but nothing did any real damage. The Big Three didn't have any other options, so they elected to bombard Gaea with everything they had as they ran towards her.

None of them noticed the sky had darkened to a sinister black. Black clouds began to whirlpool above Gaea's rising body.

* * *

If the battle at the base of Mount Olympus was a roller coaster ride, Zeus' arrival would have been the peak just before the farthest and most terrifying drop. At least, that's how Percy saw it. The gods and demigods rallied around the hope Zeus brought. The giants rallied in defiance of him.

Chaos was just a word. It simply didn't do justice to the scene that unfolded after the fresh wave of earthborn were called forth.

Percy, Annabeth, and Piper found themselves cut off from the rest of their friends and the gods. Before the wall of enemies closed around them, Percy had seen Dax fighting with Gaea's mud body. That was the direction they had to go. Everyone else could handle the giants.

Unfortunately, they couldn't even find Dax. Calling out to him yielded no results. They could only hope to stumble upon him. So they ran forward, bursting through enemy lines and causing a little chaos of their own.

Soon, the demigod army had mixed into the fight. A squad of Romans ran past them, chasing a pack of fleeing hellhounds. Little skirmishes like that were everywhere, but not all were encouraging.

Katie Gardner stumbled into Percy. Tears in her eyes, she was dragging one of sisters, who had two arrows in her back. A group of empousai were right behind them. Percy could see the light in the wounded girls eyes fade.

"Katie, you've got to put her down." His voice was hoarse.

"What? No, we have to help her!"

Tears flowed freely now as Katie realized her sister was dead in her arms. She collapsed, clutching the girl to her chest.

The three demigods surrounded her, fighting off the empousai. They were losing valuable time, but Percy couldn't leave Katie. He couldn't bear to lose anyone else if he could help it. The mental image of Travis Stolls' destroyed face when Percy told him he could have helped her kept Percy planted in front of the girl.

"Piper, get her up. Now!"

Thankfully, Piper knew what he meant. While ducking an earthborn's attack, she cooed softly to Katie, her voice layered with charmspeak. Slowly, the daughter of Demeter's eyes began to dry, and harden. Katie shook her head and stood woozily.

A dozen earthborn charged Percy. There was no way he could keep all four of them alive. Then, the charging enemies disappeared in a column of flame.

A dragon roared, and crushed a dracaena under its forefoot. But it wasn't Frank. Clarisse rode the back of her black steed towards them.

"Prissy, give her to me!" Clarisse yelled gruffly. She extended her hand.

Quickly, Percy grabbed Katie by the waist and hoisted her upward. She squealed, but grabbed Clarisse's hand. Clarisse roughly pulled her up behind her. Piper's charmspeak effect began to wear off. Katie buried her face into Clarisse's back and wept again. Clarisse scowled, but drove her heels into the dragon's sides. With a roar, her beast took off into the air.

One demigod saved was worth the time they lost.

Annabeth stepped to his side. "Percy, what now?" Her voice was tight.

He didn't have an answer.

The thicket of warriors loosened enough for Percy to see twenty feet in front of him. Two girls were carrying a wounded boy between them. They couldn't have been older than fourteen. Both girls had piercing blue eyes full of fear. Tears rolled down one girls' cheek. They didn't have the hardened look of the Greek veterans or the determination and steadiness of the Romans. _Flotilla volunteers_.

Percy's heart sank. A group of dracaena slithered behind them, spears poised to finish them off. Percy and his friends were too far to help.

A figure leapt out and cut down the first two snake women. Jake Mason dodged the third's enemy's strike and kicked her aside. But there were too many for him to fight alone. The fourth dracaena disintegrated. Jake couldn't spin to defend himself from the last one. With a hiss, the monster drove a spear into his chest. Jake fell to his knees.

"Jake!" Percy was helpless to do anything but yell. Annabeth squeezed his hand.

Jake fell to his knees, blood dripping from his chest. The monster turned back to the Flotilla soldiers, her original prey. One last act of defiance. Jake threw his sword. The projectile speared the snake women in the back. With a cry of surprise, she disintegrated. The son of Hephaestus fell to the ground and didn't move.

Phoebe and two of her Hunters materialized out of fray. They fell into cover around the fleeing warriors.

The second Titan War was devastating. It was the stuff demigod nightmares were made of the. The battle raging around Percy now would be a nightmare of that nightmare. It had to end.

"Forward." Percy said, final answering Annabeth's question.

The ground started to shake beneath them.

"We have to hurry!" Annabeth said.

Percy nodded solemnly.

With Piper, the two demigods ran, clawed, and slashed their way through hordes of enemies. But there was no end. Percy didn't see a giant, god, member of the Seven, or crew of the Marathon. It was like the three of them were stuck in an endless loop of monster killing.

Until he fell.

Heroically, Percy was so focused on the earthborn he was about to stab that he didn't see the football sized rock until his foot connected with it at sprint speed. He did manage to slide his blade into the earthborn's chest on the way down.

Unfortunately, that meant his hand couldn't break his fall.

Percy landed face first on the ground. He scrambled to his feet as quickly as he could, coughing dust. He spun around looking for the next enemy, but there weren't any attacking. The demigods and monsters were spread out in a line in front of him.

_C'mon, it wasn't _that_ embarrassing. Right?_

"Percy…" Annabeth said softly, tugging on his arm.

He spun around, and realized the armies weren't looking at him.

In the center of the circle of warriors, Dax and Gaea were trading blows. Both were glowing brightly. Every clash of metal on hardened earth sent sparks flying into the air.

_Mutt, you are too late to save your precious friends. Your gods will die._

Triumph echoed in her voice.

Dax brought his sword down and cleaved off Gaea's sword hand. The mud body didn't even react, like the move was part of the plan. Dax didn't swing again, wary of her inaction. It was as if she let him disarm her.

A rock column shot upwards and smashed Dax in the chest. He flew into the air and roughly landed ten feet in front of Percy and skidded to a stop at his feet. It was a blunt attack. Gaea wanted Dax to watch what was to come.

Percy heard more than he saw Jason, Ryder, Mr. D, and Hermes burst loudly into the clearing to his left. Piper ran to Jason, but Percy didn't even turn his head.

Gaea glowed brighter than before, and the rumble intensified.

"What's happening?" Jason asked desperately.

Percy shook his head. He had no idea, but he could guess.

_I wake!_

The bright red orbs Percy had seen in his nightmare bore into his soul.

The ground around Gaea churned like mud. Rock and dirt were drawn towards her body, stacking on the foundation.

A curse came from his right. Percy was surprised to see Leo, Apollo, and Hephaestus standing only a few feet away. He had been so entranced that he hadn't heard them appear.

Gaea had already grown to ten feet tall when Percy turned back.

"What can we do?" Piper asked.

The demigods turned to the assembled gods anxiously.

"We could always try our divine forms…" Dionysus volunteered.

"The demigods won't appreciate that." Hephaestus snarled. The demigods nodded vigorously.

"And even then… Percy, you saw glimpses of our battle with Typhon?" Hermes asked.

"It wouldn't even compare." Apollo answered. His voice was more awestruck than it was terrified.

Thunder shook the battlefield. Gaea's shoulder erupted and large pieces of rock fell to the ground, but they were immediately scooped back up by the whirlpool. Black and blue energy peppered the Earth Mother. Her growth thankfully slowed.

"That's more like it!" Leo whistled.

But Gaea started to reform the pieces as he spoke.

Dax cursed. "Well, I am not going to just stand here." He turned and faced Gaea. "Gaea, you want Olympus? _Molon Labe_!"

_Come and take it_. The ancient Greek automatically translated in Percy's mind. He vaguely remembered Annabeth telling him King Leonidas taunted the Persians with that line at Thermopylae. That was not an encouraging thought.

Dax took off at a dead sprint at Gaea. The others were shocked into silence. After a few seconds, Ryder took off after him, apparently on the same page.

"Dionysus, can you cure them of this madness before they get themselves killed?" Apollo asked.

"_That_ is something even I do not have the power to remedy. They were born that way." Mr. D snorted.

The gods appeared to be right. Gaea was massive, terrifying, and powerful. The earth broke beneath the charging demigods' feet. Dax leapt over a chasm. Ryder rolled away from a rock spire. There was no way they could even get to her, let alone kill her.

"Wait." Annabeth said. "How are we alive right now?"

"As lovely as that idea is, Annbelle –" Mr. D started to answer.

"No! I mean Gaea _is_ the earth. She should be able to just crush us all on the spot, right? But she seems confined to that body. That doesn't make sense."

No one answered. A storm boiled over Gaea's head. Percy hoped that it was fueled by Zeus' fury.

"Something very strange is going on." Hermes said.

Percy looked back at Dax and Ryder. His brother had stopped running. Gaea was looking down at him, just as confused as Percy. Dax's shoulders tense as if he was bracing himself for something.

He raised his hand and the ground opened up ten feet in front of him. Water poured into the air, but Dax didn't throw it at Gaea like Percy expected. The growing sheet of water hung suspended in the air. Dax started running again, at the water. _A shield_? Percy had no idea what the kid was planning.

Dax leapt into the middle of the floating lake. The water carried him up to the center of its mass. Around him, the water churned and shifted. In only a few seconds, a massive, humanoid body of water stood in front of Gaea. They were nearly equal in height. A massive fist of water connected with Gaea's chest, and she stumbled backward.

At the same time, Ryder started to glow. Fingers of light and flame wrapped around his body and expanded. The light seared Percy's eyes. When he felt the intensity lessen, Percy opened his eyes to a fiery colossus standing next to its watery twin.

Gaea regained her footing and stared at her attackers. Massive chunks of earth rose up to her hands and formed themselves into dual broadswords. The water and fire bodies grew matching weapons from the hands.

Both sets of blades collided at the same time with an intense flash..

"Well, Peter, what are you waiting for?"

Percy spun around to face Mr. D. He didn't know what to say. They wanted him to do _that_? Could he even do it?

His eyes met Annabeth's. They shone like she could cry any minute. They'd come so far. The Underworld, the Sea of Monsters, Atlas and Mount Othrys, the battle of the Labyrinth, the Titan War, Hera's trick, the journey to Rome, _Tartarus_. Percy's skin crawled with the thought of their last adventure. All just to be crushed underfoot by a primordial.

He couldn't let that happen.

But what were their options?

Percy looked back at his new friends, harnessing incredible power. They were the only thing stopping Gaea from crushing Olympus right now. Could he help them?

Zeus unleashed another bomb from his Master Bolt. A chunk of rock the size of a schoolbus exploded off of her back. The fraction of a second she was distracted allowed Dax to bring his water sword down on Gaea's shoulder.

The blade somehow remained solid during the impact, but it barely did any damage. The strike only penetrated a few feet before coming to a halt.

Gaea went back on the offensive, lunging with one sword at Dax. Rock missiles flew from her body at Dax and Ryder, making little craters when they landed.

"Percy, you can do it." Apollo's voice snapped him back to reality.

Percy turned and gawked at the god.

"God of foresight, remember?" Apollo said. "I know you can. I don't know if you will, or should."

That was encouraging. "You know what's going to happen, don't you?"

Apollo sighed. "I fear what I've seen, but it is far from the whole picture. I fear what I do not see more. Besides," Apollo flashed him a brilliant smile, "What have you got to lose?"

An image of being pathetically stomped on flashed into Percy's head.

Further pessimism was interrupted by a strange combination of curses and creaks from the motionless army behind them.

The gods and demigods turned around as Ares and Festus rushed into the clearing. Jenni had a white-knuckled grip on Festus' side.

The dragon-automaton was smoking. Pieces of gears had been ripped off during the battle. A ragged hole smoldered in the center of his chest. Leo ran to his creation as Festus collapsed to his knees. The dragon head coughed a small flame of joy at his master.

"Holy Hades." Ares said as he watched the giant elemental bodies fighting. The god of war looked frantic. The flames in his eyes danced wildly. "What else do we have?"

No one answered him.

"We've got our divine forms."

"No!" Everyone else but Dionysus yelled at him. Ares looked hurt.

Jenni took a few steps forward. Her eyes were wide, as if she just put the pieces together. The flashes of light when the giant swords connected reflected in the mist of her eyes.

"Dax?" Her voice was faint from exhaustion and fear.

Annabeth kissed Percy on the mouth quickly. She walked over to Jenni's side and squeezed the other girl's hand.

_I love you. Go_! Annabeth mouthed.

Percy looked at everyone else in their little group. They all looked at him expectantly. Even the gods. If all else failed, the gods would have to use their divine form to try to defeat Gaea. The demigods would be incinerated. Percy couldn't let it come to that.

With a deep breath, Percy turned and ran at the most terrifying and powerful enemy he had ever faced.


	23. To Storm or Fire the World Must Fall

**A/N: I'm so so sorry its been so long. I know the real BoO comes out tuesday so I'm gonna try really hard to finish it. Please give me ideas of how the gods will reward each character. Please review! Enjoy!**

**To Storm or Fire the World Must Fall**

Percy didn't know what was scarier.

Summoning an underground reservoir of water and channeling it into a huge, fighting exoskeleton as a last resort to defeat his most powerful enemy.

Or his powers finally failing him. Percy wouldn't be able to control the water and he would be accidently stepped on by one of the elemental behemoths. The last memory his friends would have of him would be a laughable failure. The gods would incinerate the demigods with their divine forms for the slim chance of victory.

Gaea would win.

Percy swallowed his fear as he ran toward almost certain death. There weren't any other options. He had to defeat Gaea.

Somehow.

Luckily, Gaea was too distracted by Dax and Ryder to impede Percy's progress. No spikes shot up to impale him. No boulders launched from Gaea's body to crush him.

Even though it seemed like the entire world was watching him, Percy felt alone. The earth was barren and broken around him. The gods and other demigods stood helpless behind him. Dax and Ryder were fighting for their lives before him. He was caught in the middle.

Percy could sense the water flowing beneath the earth, almost like it was itching to break through the surface.

But Percy couldn't harness it.

The fear pulled at his very soul. It was hopeless. He should give up and accept his fate.

No. It wasn't just his fate. The gods. His friends and family. Paul and Sally. _Annabeth_. All of their lives were on the line too.

A cry of defiance escaped Percy's throat.

The ground erupted around Percy. If he didn't know any better, he'd have thought he was underwater. Within seconds, Percy was rising into the air, the water churning around him. Using all of his strength, Percy willed the water to take shape around him. Slowly, he felt the water calm and obey him. The torrent began to feel like an extension of himself, like old and trusted armor.

Percy didn't even realize his eyes were shut tight. Shaking his head, he forced them open, and gasped.

Percy could see clearly that he was over twenty feet off the ground, surrounded by water. He had managed to harness the deluge into an exoskeleton resembling Dax and Ryder's. The other two fighters were fifty feet in front of him, doing their best to take chunks out of Gaea's still rising form.

Percy took a tentative step forward. The water moved with him. It felt like using a joystick controller in real life.

In seconds, Percy had closed the gap. A fresh wave of anger and confidence washed over him. Gaea would not win today.

A tingle ran through his fingers as the water shifted to form a sword in his right hand. With surprising agility, Percy swung the watery weapon at Gaea.

But Gaea was faster. With a vicious slash, she knocked Ryder back a few enormous steps and swung to block Percy's strike.

When the blades collided, Percy felt the water particles compact around the area of impact, effectively solidifying the water. Annabeth would have a science field day with this.

_No. Don't get distracted._

Percy's mind cleared enough to handily block a blow from Gaea, but the force sent him reeling backwards. With another powerful strike, Gaea sent Dax stumbling as well.

She was simply better at fighting in this form.

The three demigods slowly circled Gaea. As they watched, more earth patched up places where fire, water, and energy had gouged wounds.

_Do you really think you can still win, demigods? You simply have yet to admit your defeat that was apparent as soon as your ship fired on New Rome._

Her voice radiated with even more power now. Percy could feel the words eating at his will. He shook his head to clear it, a motion that his exoskeleton mimicked. That probably would've looked funny under other circumstances.

"You're the one who failed, Gaea." Percy's voice echoed. He paused, surprised. The particles of water around him vibrated slightly, amplifying his voice so that even the assembled audience could hear. "Every one of your plans failed. Piper didn't betray Jason and Leo. We recovered the Eagle and saved Rome. We found the Parthenos and united the camps. We escaped _Tartarus_." Percy nearly hissed the last word.

In a flash, Gaea lashed out with one of her swords, cutting him off. Percy nearly missed the parry, but recovered fast enough to counter. Gaea blocked his strike again with her other blade.

But Dax was ready. His sword stabbed into Gaea's back, but didn't puncture very far. Gaea spun, freeing Dax's sword from her back as she knocked it away and blocked Ryder's slower attack.

"We survived Panama," Dax continued as his blade met Gaea's again, "We've killed all your oh-so-powerful children. We won at the Parthenon. You're army is being slaughtered."

Three successive attacks silenced Dax. Ryder intercepted the final one to give him breathing space.

"You miscalculated every step of the way," Ryder taunted as Percy leapt forward and engaged her second blade. His fiery form burned hotter and brighter, "Your greed and selfishness will destroy you. Gaea, you will never wake from the sleep we return you to today."

Percy was shocked by how much hate filled Ryder's voice. The Titan Boy was so warm and nice that Percy thought it was impossible for him to be truly angry. In that second, Percy was afraid.

Gaea's anger seemed to match Ryder's. The ground beneath his feet wanted to surround him and suck him deep down into the Earth.

But why didn't it?

Annabeth had raised a very serious concern in Percy's mind. Gaea was a primordial, and was definitely fully awake. Percy doubted her power was limited. Something far stranger was going on.

His thoughts were interrupted when Gaea's anger exploded. The earth began to rumble and then it screamed.

A blood curdling wail erupted from her body and from the ground beneath them. Huge chunks of rock and dirt separated and flew from her body as fast as bullets. The demigods' exoskeletons took the full force of the attack head on.

At first, the rocks hit Percy and fell as the densifying water deflected them. But after only a few seconds, the water couldn't keep up with the barrage. Rocks began to pass through the rocks and slow down, but they still traveled fast enough to kill Percy. He squeezed his eyes shut tight. It took all of his power to hold together his exoskeleton and keep the rocks from crushing him.

Even through clenched eyes, the sudden flash of light felt blinding. The light faded as fast as it began, and the rocks stopped flying. Percy raised his sword before he opened his eyes.

And he was sure glad he did.

Gaea's blade connected with his and nearly wrenched it from his grasp. Barely hanging on, Percy made a weak counter attempt. Gaea easily parried it and forced Percy off-balance.

Luckily, Dax chose that moment to charge Gaea and force her to challenge him with both blades.

But where was Ryder?

Percy immediately spotted a massive circle of scorched earth where Ryder had stood before the rock attack. The ground was black and patches of vegetation were burning. Rocks littered the ground.

The flash of light and heat was Ryder's exoskeleton exploding. But was he dead?

His eyes darting for some sign of life. In a few seconds that felt like hours, Percy spotted a collection of rocks a football field from the center of the explosion. Squinting, he could make out a prone figure. A small flash appeared next to the body. Apollo and Hermes stood over Ryder.

They could handle that. Percy turned back to his problem. Gaea swung at him. Percy deflected the blow, but almost faltered. Gaea was still growing stronger, and now there were only two enemies for her to deal with.

Percy's mind went black. The three combatants danced around each other, trading blows, with neither side gaining any real traction. Gaea was stronger, but Percy and Dax were able to defend each other. Occasionally, a blast from one of the Big Three connected with Gaea and gave the demigods an opening. But none of their attacks was able to do any real damage.

The fight dragged on for what felt like days to Percy, and he didn't know how much more his body could take. Summoning the fire-water-lightning tornado had nearly knocked him out. This was something else entirely.

The dance ended abruptly, like someone turned off the iPod mid-chorus.

Dax and Percy fought side by side. Gaea lashed out to stab Percy, and Dax saw an opening. He brought his sword to cleave off her outstretched hand. There was no way she was going to be able to avoid the blow, or so it seemed.

Gaea surprised them both by dropping her sword. Swinging around to avoid Dax's attack, she brought her other sword up with both hands and brought it down on Dax. He parried the attack, but Gaea came at him again and battered him backwards.

Without losing stride, she turned on Percy with an intensity he hadn't seen before. A flurry of heavy attacks knocked Percy down to one knee. Another strike destroyed his sword. Percy was helpless.

Dax ran forward to help, but Gaea was apparently done playing this game. She raised her free hand, and a torrent of rocks flew at the center of Dax's exoskeleton. The directed attack punched through his armor and blasted Dax out the other side. He landed heavily on the ground, but slowly started to get to his feet and half-crawl away.

Gaea turned back to Percy, her eyes glowing with triumph.

_You two will die last. I'm sure you'll want to watch._

With a flick of her wrist, a rock the size of Tyson crashed into Percy and sent him airborne.

Percy landed ten feet farther than Dax with a bone-jarring collision. His body was on fire. Every muscle burned like he was cooked. His limbs felt heavy and all he wanted to do was close his eyes.

Dax crawled over to him.

"We have to get up." Dax said. He coughed and a little blood dripped down his chin.

Percy forced his body to sit up on one elbow. He didn't know what to say. They were out of ideas, no matter how crazy. Gaea won.

"Percy! Dax!" Multiple voices called from behind them.

Their friends and the gods were running towards them. The Big Three had joined the party. They ran past the fallen heroes and tried to buy some time. Blasts of energy bombarded Gaea.

Annabeth draped Percy with a hug. She was trembling, as if on the verge of tears. Jenni jumped on Dax. She was openly weeping.

Piper's eyes were red and puffy, like she had already emptied her tear ducts. Jason helped Percy to his feet, and they both lifted up Dax.

Ryder slid off the back of Frank the dragon, who then shifted back to human form.

"What now?" Ryder asked. His breathing was labored.

No one answered.

In the silence, Percy noticed how dark the sky was. The clouds were black as night as far as the eye could see.

A flash of lightning struck the ground next to Gaea. She snarled up at the sky.

"I don't think that's my dad." Jason said.

Everyone glanced nervously at him, except Percy and Dax, who exchanged a glance.

Annabeth squeezed Percy's arm.

"We must be at the end." Dax said.

"Please, don't abandon us now." Percy said. He still didn't even know who their savior may be.

"What are you talking about?" Jason asked accusingly.

Dax and Percy were too transfixed by the sky to answer. They were the only two not looking at Gaea. One by one, the others followed their gaze to the sky, where a vortex was swirling and beginning to descend.

_You dare challenge me?_

Gaea sounded more afraid than angry.

Thunder boomed, and another lighting strike connected with Gaea's shoulder.

_**A challenge implies the chance of defeat**_.

All of the air and sky seemed to be talking. It was the same voice that had claimed credit for their cloud cover. _As old as Gaea and as cold as mountain air_. Now, the voice had more authority. Fear began to settle in Percy's stomach.

The black tornado of clouds descended faster now. When the base touched the ground, it began to change shape. Soon, a humanoid form loomed in front of Gaea.

"Ouranos." Zeus said.

The primordial's cloud body was entirely black, but his eyes were as blue as a clear summer day. He was even bigger than Gaea.

"What's happening now?" Frank asked.

"He's probably going to tell us." Mr. D responded.

You are a trick, an illusion! Kronos destroyed your consciousness.

_**I can assure you I am no such thing, Gaea**_. A black sword formed in his hand. _**I was scattered, this is true, but over the millennia I began to ever so slowly pull myself back together. It was not until recently that I was able to truly harness my thoughts. But I have seen all the ages, the wars, what you all have done. The good and the bad.**_

_So join me, husband, and we will rule this earth once again._

_**I will do no such thing. You turned out children against me. And theirs against them. You are a plague, Gaea. Wherever you meddle, only pain and destruction is the result. I will have no part of it. Today, I will have my revenge.**_

His sword met hers, and the earth and air both shook. Percy nearly fell over. Piper did, but Jason caught her.

"What do we do?" Frank asked.

"Hope he wins." Dax said with a sneer.

_**Gaea you made a crucial mistake. You trapped yourself. By weakening the ancient magic only here, your conscious cannot be the entire earth. The ancient magic can only be destroyed once the Olympians are dealt with. Today is your turn to be scattered.**_

"Ah, this is the part where we have to sacrifice something." Ares commented. He didn't look sad or happy, like he had had the emotion drained out of him.

The two primordials traded blows so impossibly fast that Percy's eyes could barely keep up.

_**Mortals and Olympians, just as one of her giants can only be defeated by a god and hero together, one of each of you is required to destroy the Earth Mother.**_

"That makes us sound like ingredients in a recipe." Leo commented.

_**Together, our three energies will be enough to destroy Gaea's consciousness. But be warned, this is not death. This is the end of your being. There is no Hades for you, no Elysium. Decide. Now. I will not have the power to perform the act for much longer.**_

Four boys stepped forward together.

"I'll do it."

And three hearts broke.

Percy, Dax, Jason, and Ryder stepped forward. Jenni started crying again. Piper fell over but didn't feint. Leo was there to help her up. Annabeth was frozen in place. She would expect nothing less from Percy, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"Jason, you're not doing this. I'm not letting you leave Piper, and you're going to be needed to link both the camps." Percy started.

"As if you won't be! Camp Half Blood doesn't have a soul without you, Percy." Jason shot back.

"And you want me to let you leave Annabeth?" Dax said. "It has to be me. I'm a mistake, I shouldn't exist. And my energy might be even more powerful than yours."

"Hey, earth to Dax, you'd be leaving Jenni too. And I will absolutely not allow that to happen. Besides your energy might not work at all. You don't seem to fit into the rules. I'm a mistake too, and I'm not leaving anyone behind."

"You're leaving us!" Dax yelled.

"You know what I mean, Dax." Ryder kept his voice calm in the hopes of keeping Dax reined in.

Everyone fell silent as thunder rumbled.

* * *

"So, should we draw straws?" Ares said.

The gods stood in a circle. None of them had been this scared in their history, even during the Battle of Manhattan.

"No, it has to be more civilized than that. I'll do it." Zeus answered.

"Now, wait just a moment," Apollo said, "No way. None of the Big Three can go. That kind of power vacuum would be disastrous. I'll do it, my energy is the brightest." Apollo forced a blinding smile.

"Nope, you and Artemis cannot be separated. That balance cannot be substituted for." Hades offered as he crossed his arms.

"Me." Hephaestus interjected. "Quite obvious that it has to be me."

"None of this is obvious!" Hermes cried. His voice was strained with exasperation.

"Grommets and gears! Think about it. Easiest god to replace. Both my boys could do it no sweat. My mother and wife both hate me. Er, I'm not as good at being a god as any of you." Hephaestus' hands twirled around, as if he was fixing an imaginary machine.

The others didn't respond. They looked at him sadly. Hephaestus was right, but none of them wanted to voice their opinion.

"It's settled then." The god of forges said quietly. He nodded. "Don't take it easy on Hera, when this is all over."

He earned a light laugh from Hermes and Apollo, but the others were stone-faced. Hephaestus turned to Ares.

"Brother, er, take care of 'Dite, you know? I'm no good for her anyhow."

To everyone's surprise, Ares stepped forward and hugged the other god, who returned the embrace. The goddesses may have cried had they been there, but the gods held back their emotions. This was not the place.

"Thank you, son." Zeus said.

Hephaestus nodded at his father and turned to find Leo.

* * *

"There must be a better way to decide this!" Dax said as he stomped his foot.

"The decision is already made!" Ryder was just annoyed at this point, "Accept it. Please, Dax, don't make this harder than it already is."

Dax didn't respond. Instead he walked over to Ryder and hugged him. The Titan Boy visibly relaxed, until Dax kicked his legs out from under him and took off running.

"No!" Ryder yelled.

In a flash, he rolled to his feet and uncoiled his whip, which he had somehow held onto. The leather lashed out and snagged Dax's ankle. A firm tug sent Dax flying face-first into the ground.

"Let me go!" Dax yelled frantically.

"Jenni, talk to him, please." Ryder said.

Jenni ran over to Dax, who was trying to untangle the whip from his ankle.

"Dax, please." Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. "If you go, I'm going with you. I'm not staying without you." She crossed arms trying to look tough. "I love you."

"Jenni…" He couldn't finish his sentence. Dax started to get choked up. A few tears escaped out the corner of his eyes.

Ryder walked over to him and held out a hand. Dax hesitated, and then took it. This time, they hugged for real before Ryder turned back to everyone.

"I've only known most of you for a short time, and I wish that our time wasn't cut short, but I wouldn't have anyone else with me here right now. You're all so brave. Thank you." Ryder's voice cracked, "Take care of each other, and tell the others I wish I could've said goodbye. Let Jack down easy for me."

With that said, Ryder took a deep breath, turned, and ran towards the sparring primordials.

"Jackson." A gruff voice called behind him.

Percy turned to see Hephaestus looming over him. "Hi." Was the only thing Percy could force out.

The god grunted, then clapped him on the back. "Well done, boy. You're a good influence on them – the gods. Keep that going." Hephaestus lowered his voice, "Take care of my boy, please."

Percy looked passed the god to see Leo staring at them. His eyes were misty and he was trembling a bit. Frank put an arm around his shoulder. Percy tore his eyes away and nodded at Hephaestus. "Will do, sir."

Percy couldn't have guessed who the sacrificed god would be. But choosing Hephaestus did make sense in its own way.

And with that, the god of forges took off after Ryder.

Ouranos began to chant, but not in Greek or Latin. _Tongue of the Old Times_. Tyson had told him that was the language before the Olympians.

Percy wrapped his arm around Annabeth. Next to him, Dax did the same to Jenni.

"I love you too." Dax said quietly.

A smile spread across Percy's face. Maybe there was good reason to have hope.

"Way to go, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth said as she buried her face in his neck.

Hephaestus and Ryder were nearly at Ouranos' feet now.

"I couldn't have done it without you."

"Duh." Percy's smile broadened.

As they watched, Ouranos caught Gaea off-balance and chopped off her sword hand. His incantation stopped. Before Gaea could regrow her hand, Ouranos grabbed her wrists.

A bolt of lightning the size of a skyscraper shot down and landed on their hands. There was a searing flash of light, and Percy had the sensation of being thrown into the air. He reached out for Annabeth but there was nothing to grab. Percy blacked out before he felt himself land.


	24. Shock and Aw Crap Not Again

**A/N: I own nothing. I'm so so sorry how sad the end of that chapter was. I know, I love Ryder too, but somebody had to make a sacrifice, and I couldn't bring myself to kill any of the Seven. Anyway, sorry, and it gets happier, if that helps. **

**As always, please take the time to review, I really appreciate it. Enjoy! (We're almost done, or are we? ;))**

**Shock and Aw Crap Not Again**

Percy saw nothing, felt nothing. He couldn't even sense his body.

_**Perseus Jackson, son of Lord Poseidon, savior of Olympus, you have performed yet another miraculous feat. I applaud you.**_

_**However, you must be warned. The sky will no longer wish to embrace the earth. A great burden has been lifted.**_

_**But that will come later. Now, you must wake.**_

* * *

Percy's eyes flew open and he gasped for air, as if he had just barely avoided drowning. Blinking to clear his vision, he realized he was laying on a bed in a white, marble room. Annabeth was asleep in a chair at his bedside. Next to him, Dax began to stir in another bed. Jenni was watching him nervously and didn't notice Percy.

A knife of pain shot through his skull as the gears in his brain started to move again. Memories of the battle flashed through his mind in seconds. Percy groaned and fell back on his bed. With his eyes closed, the headache subsided.

Waves of sorrow and relief washed over him. They had all paid a great price for their victory, but Gaea was gone. It was finally over.

"Percy?" Annabeth called to him softly.

"Hey Wise Girl." Percy's voice was husky, but his smile was bright.

He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Annabeth hugged him tight. He buried his head in her hair.

"It's all over." Annabeth said.

"We're together." Percy replied. He could feel her smile against his shoulder.

A loud groan came from behind Percy. Dax was squirming in bed, clearly dealing with a similar headache to Percy's. Jenni knelt on the foot of his bed. She placed a hand on his side.

"Dax, are you okay?"

Dax sat up slowly and looked at her. His gray eyes were dim and misty. His lip quivered a little.

"Ryder…" He choked out. A single tear rolled down his cheek.

"Come here." Jenni pulled him into a hug.

Dax embraced her tightly. He trembled a little bit, clearly trying to hold his emotions together.

"Let's give them some space." Annabeth whispered.

Percy nodded and they tip-toed out of the room. They shut the large, golden door quietly behind them.

"How long did we sleep for?" Percy asked as they walked down the hallway.

"The two of you have been sleeping for four days. We sailed all the way home already, with some aid from Zeus. Everyone is in the throne room waiting for us."

"Oh, so we get more divine favors?" Percy snickered.

"We're gonna have to come up with something really original this time."

"Oh, I have few ideas." Percy flashed a mischievous grin worthy of the Stolls.

Annabeth squeezed his hand. They walked the rest of the way in a comfortable silence. Just like last time, the two heroes were reveling in the fact that they were both still alive, and together. Percy didn't have the words, but knew that he didn't need them.

As they entered the throne room, Percy was again awed at its absolute beauty. He also noticed little improvements Annabeth had made before this whole quest had begun.

"It looks incredible." Percy complimented.

Annabeth squeezed his hand again in thanks.

Inside the room, all the Olympians sat on their thrones, even Demeter. Hestia tended the hearth, and Hades sat upon his guest throne. Hephaestus' empty throne seemed to attract Percy's attention, like a black hole.

Nico and Thalia sat at their parents' feet. The remaining members of the Marathon and Argo's crews stood in the center. Percy and Annabeth walked toward them. Only Hazel was able to crack a warm smile. Leo looked distraught. Jack appeared to be on the verge of breaking something while Skylar stood next to him, visibly concerned.

Halfway across the room, Percy heard Dax and Jenni exit the hallway behind them.

"Excellent, since the sleepyheads are up and about, can we get started?" Apollo asked.

Zeus grunted in response.

"This war was the closest we have ever come to annihilation, and I want to commend each and every immortal and mortal in this room for their strength and bravery. Without even a single one of you, Olympus may have fallen."

Poseidon grunted.

Zeus glared at him, "I would also, erm, like to thank the demigods in particular. I cannot go into detail about each and everyone one of your accomplishments, but you all fought valiantly, without help from us. However, Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase do deserve a commendation for throwing themselves into Tartarus and coming out the other side." All the demigods and a few of the gods began clapping. Percy felt his face flush. Athena and Poseidon looked down proudly on their children. Zeus continued when the clapping died down. "The council would also like to apologize –"

Poseidon grunted again.

"Er, I would like to apologize. In the past year, certain decisions have been made that handicapped our ability to combat the threat of Gaea."

Poseidon nodded appreciatively.

"However, in this victory, we sustained heavy losses, even more painful than during the war with Kronos. Miss Chase, daughter of Athena, as architect of Olympus, I would like you to put on hold the projects you are currently working on, in order to start a new one. Two memorials must be built in honor of the heroes we lost. Firstly, you may build a memorial as you see fit for all of the demigods and their allies who perished." Zeus took a moment to choose his words carefully, "Secondly, a memorial must be built for the two heroes who made an unimaginable sacrifice for all of us. Yes, even the Titan Boy will be commemorated. They can be honored together or separately, it does not matter."

Annabeth stepped forward and bowed. "I would be honored, sir."

"Yes, thank you." Zeus replied. "Brother Hades, please rise."

The demigods looked at each other in confusion as Hades made his way to the center of the room. But the gods seemed to know what was happening.

"Hades, Lord of the Underworld, in the wake of this war, the council has become unbalanced. The council has decided to request that you fill a seat on the council."

Nico looked absolutely bewildered, but pride shone in his eyes. Hades knelt at his brother's feet.

"Brother Zeus, my king, I promise to fulfill the responsibilities you have bestowed on me to the best of my abilities for all eternity. Thank you."

Hades stood and returned to his throne.

"Hades, you may build your own throne or consult with Miss Chase." Zeus said.

Hades smiled and nodded.

"Leo Valdez! Please –"

"Wait!" Hades cried, "As an official council member, I will make my first motion."

Hera rolled her eyes. Apollo and Hermes sat on the edge of their seats. Even Ares was interested.

"I motion that Demeter be removed from the council and Hestia restored to her prior position."

Everyone in the room fell silent. All the gods were still clearly angry with Demeter, but this was a huge power move by Hades. He finally had a real excuse to turn on his hated mother-in-law.

"Hades, while I agree with you that Demeter be punished," Poseidon broke the silence, "Let's not be rash about it. Let us reward the heroes and discuss Demeter later. We should not burden the children with our squabbles."

Zeus looked at Poseidon a little surprised. Then he nodded in thanks. "Yes, I agree with my brother." Athena smirked, "That matter will be discussed later. Leo Valdez! Please, step forward."

Leo looked a bit surprised, but then shuffled forward. He bowed. "My Lord."

"Leo, you fought with bravery and valor. Your skills were invaluable on this quest." Zeus paused, "I would like to offer my condolences about your father. He was a great god."

Leo nodded. His eyes shone like he was about to cry.

Zeus continued. "Now, we no longer have a god of forges. Leo Valdez, I would like you to take your father's place as blacksmith of the gods."

Leo froze and his eyes went wide. Behind them, Percy could tell the little guy's gears were spinning a mile a minute. After a few seconds his eyes hardened.

"I will accept, under one condition."

Every pair of eyes was glued to Leo.

"I will hear this condition."

"You free Calypso so that I can make her my immortal wife on Olympus. After all, you promised Percy to free her and didn't. She deserves justice."

Voices erupted in the room. Many of the gods were shocked and throwing their opinions out, but no one could be heard over the clatter. Athena and Aphrodite didn't speak, but stared intently at the son of Hephaestus, studying him. Aphrodite smiled broadly.

"Enough!" Zeus yelled, "Leo Valdez, the council grants your condition. You may tell her yourself."

Aphrodite squealed. Percy was torn. He was happy for Leo, but did not ever want to see Calypso again. After she cursed Annabeth in Tartarus, Percy would have a tough time not killing her.

Leo returned to the group. Some color finally returned to his face and he smiled. Piper poked him in the side, giggling.

Zeus cleared his throat. "Dax, please come forward."

Dax was impossible to read. His eyes were stone, lips locked indifferently. He slowly walked to the center of the room. He did not kneel or address Zeus.

Zeus glared at him, but did not comment when Dax didn't falter. "Dax, you were robbed of your divine birthright. Your power and skill was invaluable to the war effort. In recognition of this, I offer you the chance to claim your rightful place among us." His voice was reserved, as if he wished he didn't have to say it.

Dax looked calmly around the room. He looked at all the gods, and took extra time to look at his parents. Annabeth grabbed Jenni's hand. She had been were Jenni was standing only a year ago.

"Nope." Dax said as he turned back to Zeus.

Silence filled the room, then Hades started laughing. "Rejected by another son of Poseidon. One for three? You should really stop offering that gift, brother."

Ares and Hermes chuckled along with him. Apollo and Artemis glared at Dax. Athena and Poseidon looked disappointed.

"I only want one thing." Dax started.

"Here we go again." Apollo mumbled.

"If it is within our power." Zeus groaned.

"The gods cannot ignore the Flotilla anymore. We will still gladly accept any demigods that you feel should not be at either camp, but we want to have a relationship with the Camps and Olympus."

Mumbles filled the air, but no god challenged him.

"We swear to uphold your request as best we can."

"You swear?" Percy piped up.

Zeus glared at Percy. "We swear on the Styx."

Thunder rumbled.

"Thank you." Dax said cockily as he spun around. He winked at Percy as he walked back to Jenni.

"I think it would be wise to change things up now." Athena said, "The demigods don't seem to like our true or false question style. Perhaps we let them fill in the blank. If they have a request from us, let us hear it. What do you think father?" She looked at Zeus expectantly.

Zeus pondered it for a moment. "Yes, that does sound better. Do any of you have a request?"

The demigods started to whisper among themselves, but were interrupted by Apollo.

"Wait! You all need to see this."

Apollo waved his hand through the air, and an image shimmered to life. Rachel Dare was sitting in her cave at Camp Half Blood, painting a mural on the wall. Suddenly, her spine went stiff and her eyes glowed green.

A chorus of "Oh no" rang around the room.

Rachel started to speak:

_When the sky no longer wishes to embrace the earth,_

_Past the winds, the sons of the sea will seek the son of the North,_

_While the former Roman and his replacement seek the daughter of Day,_

_In the south, where the ancient Greeks would play._

_The rest of the prophecy will be heard, and the escaped Titan tethered,_

_After the Fox is hunted where the giant was dismembered._

Again, the throne room descended into silence. Dax froze.

"I've got my request," Percy said, even though he knew it wouldn't work, "I want no part in that."

"I'm sorry, Percy. I'm afraid you don't have a choice." Apollo replied, "That request is not within our power. The prophecy seems to describe your little group perfectly."

"Yes, quite." Athena answered, "But which of the Titans have escaped? That is worrisome."

Something about the prophecy made sense to Percy. His mind went into hyperdrive. _When the sky no longer wishes to embrace the earth_. Where had he heard that before? _Think_. Got it. Ouranos had said that right? Yes. A great burden has been lifted. A Titan with a burden of the sky?

Totally oblivious to the conversation around him, Percy shouted, "its Atlas!"

The rest of the conversation died out.

"What?" Ares asked.

"Ouranos told me to beware that a great burden will be lifted when the sky doesn't want to embrace the earth. Ouranos no longer wants to crush Gaea, so Atlas's burden evaporated."

"But what's the significance of the Fox, or the two other demigods we have to find?" Jason asked.

Leo threw his hands in the air, "It's no use. Prophecies don't make sense until you jump headfirst into them."

"Leo's right," Annabeth said, "But it seems like we are going to have to split up at first."

"Right it sounds like Frank and I are supposed to go south." Jason continued.

"And Percy and I go north." Dax finished.

"And these destinations are?" Jack asked.

"When we go north, we'll just have to stop and ask Boreas. It mentions the winds. Maybe give Khione a knock on the head or two if she even shows her face." Percy said. Jason, Piper, and Leo shivered.

"Well, the ancient Greeks liked the theater, is that what it means by play?" Hazel asked.

Annabeth started muttering to herself, "A daughter of day would be somewhere warm and sunny… people play outside when it's warm and sunny … What do they play?" No one interrupted her, "They play baseball… games…"

_Games_? Frank mouthed to Percy. Percy shook his head.

"Greek games… Olympic games … Summer Olympics… Brazil! The southern team goes to Brazil!" Annabeth cried, happy she finally figured it out.

"Looks like we are gonna need another ship." Jason said, "Keenan, how fast can you build one?"

Keenan, who had been mournfully silent the entire meeting, looked bewildered they wanted his opinion, "Eh? Uh, probably two or three months, with some help."

Percy breathed a sigh of relief. They would get a few months of relative normalcy, thank the gods, and they'd be able to establish friendship between the three factions.

"Okay, so Keenan comes with us. Jack, Skylar, you guys should go north, keep the teams relatively even." Jason said.

Jack's eyes finally brightened a little bit, which made Skylar smile. Good, Percy had started to really like Jack.

"So, now that that's settled, can we finish this meeting?" Hades asked.

"Yes, any last requests, demigods?" Zeus said.

"Yes, I do." Percy said as he stepped into the middle of the throne room.

Multiple gods groaned in protest.

"Hey, you asked! Anyway, yeah, so never, ever close the doors of Olympus again. That was one of the worst mistakes of the war–"

"Tread lightly, boy." Zeus growled.

"Yeah, but seriously, if we are going to overcome these serious threats, the gods and demigods need to be able to cooperate and communicate with each other. Deal?"

When no one objected, Zeus spoke up. "Fine. The council hereby swears on the river Styx."

Thunder rumbled. "Anything else?"

Percy turned to look at the group behind him. Leo made his gaze and smiled. Coughing to cover his voice, he said, "Hera."

A smile spread across Percy's face. "I know that you guys want to handle your squabbles on your own, but we are all very involved in one particular issue. Hera."

Poseidon raised a curious eye at his son.

Annabeth continued, "Hera turned our lives upside down in a very dangerous plan. It did pay off, but only barely. More importantly, Hera has shown a total disregard for the lives of demigods in general. We think that the best way to deal with her acts during the war could benefit both parties."

A light bulb went off in Percy's head, "I think a proper punishment would be to give Hera a similar punishment to Mr. D, except Hera would be Mr. D's assistant, in every way. For say, I don't know, one hundred years?"

All the gods thought about this for a few minutes. Poseidon smiled proudly at his son. Dionysus seemed thrilled to be able to boss around Hera.

"I like it." Hermes said.

Ares, Aphrodite, Poseidon, and Athena agreed. Zeus remained unsure.

"Wait a moment," Dionysus said, "I only have another fifty years left with the brats."

A small smile crept across Zeus' face. "Well Dionysus, since your internment at Camp Half Blood began, we have seen a remarkable increase in demigod motivation and skill. Perhaps you have made a greater impact on them than you like to admit," Dionysus sneered, "Percy Jackson, you have surprised me again. Well done. Queen Hera, you are sentenced to a hundred years as Dionysus' assistant at Camp Half Blood. Does any member of the council object?"

Ares started clapping, but immediately stopped when Hera gave him one of her worst death stares.

"It is done." Zeus said. More thunder rumbled.

Before Percy turned around, he remembered a thought from the last time he was here. "Oh one more thing. Please change the elevator music. It's awful."

Apollo flashed a brilliant smile, "I can take care of that."

"Uh, sure." Percy said hesitantly. Hermes was looking at Apollo in horror. Percy couldn't imagine what Apollo would come up with.

"Okay," Zeus commanded, "This council meeting is adjourned.

Thunder boomed as the gods descended from their thrones.


	25. Visiting Hours

**A/N: So i realize actual BoO comes out tomorrow. I'm so sorry I have two chapters left. Absolutely crazy midterm week. I will finish this week because I do intend to make a sequel. Please please review but most importantly ENJOY!**

**Visiting Hours**

The salty smell of the ocean mist grew stronger as Poseidon walked towards Percy. Outside of the battle at Olympus, Percy hadn't seen or heard his dad in almost a year. Despite the extraordinary circumstances of that stretch of time, this was odd even by Olympian standards_. Then again_, Percy thought, _Jason is meeting his dad for the first time_. And then there was Dax.

Percy spotted his brother talking to Jack off to the side. They were talking quietly, and Dax clearly didn't want to be seen. The loss of Ryder, combined with the anxiety of having to interact with Athena and Poseidon, must be tough to handle, even for him.

Jack looked distressed, but he was able to smile softly whenever he looked at Skylar and seemed to be reassuring Dax, which was good for both of them. Apollo and Hermes were making their way towards the pair, so Dax slinked away before being drawn into an awkward conversation.

Poseidon had reached Percy now, and the god drew his son into a tight embrace.

"Percy, I was so scared," Poseidon said softly. He pulled away and cleared his throat, but his eyes were still a bit misty, "Then again, I don't know why I was. I should never have doubted your ability, or your power. What you've done is nothing short of miraculous. I am so proud of you."

Percy shifted uncomfortably at the praise, "Thanks, Dad, but I couldn't have done it alone. Jason and Piper and Leo saved Hera. Frank and Hazel were awesome in Alaska. Everyone played huge parts when we went to Rome. Nico and the House of Hades. Dax and his crew. All of you. It was so not just me."

Poseidon raised an eyebrow, "And Annabeth?"

A broad smile spread across Percy's face just at her mention, "I mean, that goes without saying. She was even more incredible than me, through everything. She was the glue that held us together on the Argo. I couldn't have survived Tartarus without her. I couldn't have done any of it without her."

"Nor her without you, Perseus Jackson." A voice said behind him.

Athena glided out from behind him to stand at Poseidon's side.

"Hi, Athena." Percy's face turned beet red. He was still pretty confident Athena would have a blast incinerating him.

"Your father is correct Percy. Your efforts during this war were unbelievable and you have proven me wrong once again. The world, your friends, and your family have all survived."

Percy's face became an even deeper shade of red, "Thank you."

"I would also like to add that my threat is still outstanding. However, you have proven yourself in innumerable ways. So, I have no doubt that I will never have to follow through with it."

Athena even cracked a small smile.

Poseidon narrowed his eyes at the goddess, "What threat?" His voice was confused and a bit angry.

"I simply told him not to screw it up." Athena replied smugly.

Is this what it sounded like? Was Athena really giving him her blessing? Relief, joy, and a hundred other complimenting emotions washed over him. He smiled so wide his cheeks started to hurt.

"It?" Poseidon asked accusingly.

Percy couldn't keep the smile off his face, "Don't worry, Dad. I could never live with myself if I did that."

Athena nodded approvingly. Poseidon still eyed them both suspiciously, but let the subject drop at Percy's reaction.

This was incredible! Definitely a top five happiest moment for Percy. Ever. After everything they'd gone through, finally, Athena relinquished her motherly overprectiveness, officially. And there was no problem with Poseidon. Percy's dad really did only care about his son's well-being, and it was pretty obvious Annabeth had become a driving factor in that regard.

Percy was pulled out of his thoughts by an arm wrapping around his waist. Annabeth pulled herself tightly into his side. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. They both turned bright red when they remember their parents were watching. Poseidon smiled warmly at the pair. Athena was expressionless, but Percy would have bet a hundred drachma her eyes moistened just a little.

"What are you smiling about, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth said.

"Oh, nothing." Percy replied. A little smile forced itself onto Athena's face. Impossibly, Percy's own smile stretched even wider.

"Miss Chase, you were spectacular during this ordeal. I cannot thank you enough. You two have saved the world again." Poseidon said.

"We couldn't have done it alone. All the others –"

"Oh spare me," Athena cut her off, "You two are too modest for your own good."

Silence filled the space between demigods and gods. Percy had no idea how to respond to that. Apparently neither did Annabeth. But that was okay, that's how they always were.

"And Annabeth, thank you for never giving up on my son." Poseidon said.

Fire burned Percy's cheeks as blood rushed to fill them. His throat dried up. Thankfully, Annabeth laughed.

"It's not like I had a choice, sir. I think it would hurt me more than you to lose him." Annabeth replied as she squeezed his waist. Now, both the gods' eyes were definitely misting.

Past the gods, Percy's attention was drawn to a cloaked figure doing his best to avoid being noticed by their party. Dax was circling out wide to avoid them. After tracking him for a few seconds, they made eye contact, and Dax stopped walking. Percy's smile morphed into a mischievous smirk.

* * *

Anxiety burned through his bloodstream. His eyes flitted around nervously, trying to identify anyone who might want to talk to him. He couldn't let himself be pinned down and cornered. Then it was only a matter of time.

Why did Jack have to make sense? Of course he should talk to his parents, but that would be the most nerve-racking experience of his life. _Funny, I'll run straight at a pissed off primordial, but am scared to death of a little family reunion_.

Dax was reminded of the night before the battle, when he could barely force himself to go see Jenni. Except this was a hundred times worse. And he couldn't even seek comfort in her, because that would almost certainly attract Aphrodite, and that was another battle that terrified him to his core.

Spotting Percy, Annabeth, Poseidon, and Athena, he attempted to sneak past them and find Keenan. They could be social hermits together. Percy and Annabeth were facing him, but they seemed to be enthralled by the conversation.

Looking back at the far wall, Dax continued his hopefully clandestine escape, but pretty quickly he started to feel eyes boring into him. After a few more steps, he couldn't take it. Giving into his body's natural instinct to face a potential threat, he turned and locked eyes with Percy, who smiled impishly.

_Oh no._

While the two gods were focused on whatever Annabeth was saying, Percy made hand motions encouraging Dax to join the group, but Dax froze. He knew he had to go over there, but he didn't know how he was going to face his parents. He didn't know how to talk to them and ignore the fact that he only exists because of their mistake. Percy had to understand that.

Either Percy didn't understand, or didn't care. His motions became more forceful and urgent. Dax took a reluctant step forward, then another, and before he knew it he was standing between Poseidon and Percy.

"Hey guys." Awkwardly escaped Dax's lips.

The two gods looked surprised, but they had to have known this would happen eventually. Annabeth smiled and nudged Percy's side with her elbow.

"Percy, Piper is calling for us."

Percy looked torn, as if he wanted to stick around to support Dax, and toss in a few sarcastic comments. Annabeth nudged him again.

"Oh, uh, right. Let's go." Percy said as he allowed Annabeth to lead him away. Percy winked at Dax and smiled. Dax returned it weakly.

An awkward silence filled the void created by the two demigods' departure.

"Uh, hi Athena. Hi Poseidon. I'm sorry –"

"No, Dax, please. I – your mother and I could not be more proud of you. You have faced an incredible amount of adversity with an impossibly heavy burden, but you never gave up on your friends," he paused, looking for the right way to continue.

"You may have been an accident, Dax, but you were by no means a mistake." Athena finished for him.

Dax didn't know how to respond he was so overwhelmed with emotion. Poseidon and Athena managed to dissolve the bubble of stress and anger that had been growing in his belly. _What do I say? What do I do?_ His hands started shaking. The gods grew visibly concerned.

"Dax, are you alright?" Athena asked. Her voice quivered a little bit.

Dax sniffled, "Ya, it's just… I'm sorry… I –"

Dax practically fell forward and wrapped his arms tightly around both his parents. They returned his embrace gladly. Dax silently wept in their arms for close to a minute. He didn't care if anyone else saw him. He had a family, a real one. He had a brother, and he had Jenni. That's all he ever needed.

Eventually Dax pulled out of the hug slowly, "I'm sorry. I don't know what happened."

Both the gods smiled. "It's okay, Dax. We're here, and we're not leaving." Poseidon said with a smile.

"We love you." Athena said.

Another wave of emotion rolled over Dax, but he fought it back.

"I love you guys too." Dax replied.

Another moment of silence entered the group, but it was a comfortable one. No one really knew what to say next, but that was alright to Dax. No need to force anything too early.

"Excuse me." A female voice called out.

Aphrodite was striding gracefully towards the trio, "Poseidon, Athena, I'm so sorry to interrupt, but would it be possible for me to borrow Dax for a minute?" Her smile was gorgeous. Dax didn't think anyone could say no to her.

Athena and Poseidon exchanged a look. Poseidon nodded.

"That's quite alright, Aphrodite," Athena answered, "Dax, we'll see you later."

The two gods departed, leaving Dax utterly terrified standing before his girlfriend's goddess of a mom. _Wait, is she my girlfriend? Is that a thing?_ Dax thought nervously. _Of course, you idiot. You told her you loved her_, he reassured himself. _Oh, right_.

Meanwhile, Aphrodite was looking Dax up and down intently. Her eyes were narrowed, not in suspicion but curiosity. After about a minute of staring, the goddess made brief eye contact with Dax before scanning the room. Dax was too afraid to follow her gaze. After a moment of scanning, Aphrodite's eyes brightened.

"Oh, Jason! Come here for a moment." Aphrodite called as she waved her hand through the air.

Dax finally turned. Jason was hesitantly walking towards him. They made eye contact. Dax hoped he didn't look as scared as Jason, but he probably did. Maybe even worsse. Aphrodite probably loved it.

Jason stopped next to Dax. Aphrodite looked him over for as long as she did Dax. When she stopped, she took a long moment to look at both boys in the eyes.

"Do you boys know why I've asked to speak to you alone?" The goddess started.

Jason and Dax exchanged a look.

"I can imagine," Dax answered with a smirk, "because of Jenni and Piper."

"Yes," Aphrodite returned the smirk, "Precisely. Now, why exactly do you two believe you two are worthy of my daughters?"

"Well, your daughters seem to think we are." Dax replied sarcastically.

* * *

Jason mentally face-palmed. Dax was taunting the goddess of love about her daughters, whom Jason and Dax were in love with. _Whoa, did I just think I'm in love with Piper? Hades. Should I tell her? Not the time, Jason. Right. _

Aphrodite's eyes narrowed at Dax, but she didn't say anything. They also hadn't been turned into pigeons, which was a good start.

"I mean, I disagree with them," the sarcasm faded from his voice and his smirk turned serious, "I can't necessarily speak for Jason, but I am nowhere near close to being worthy of Jenni. But she picked me, and I picked her, so I must have done something right along the way."

Aphrodite looked at Dax again, and then turned to Jason, "and you, son of Zeus?"

Jason gulped. This may turn out to be one of the scariest moments of his life, "Uh, like Dax said, I wouldn't say I'm worthy, not by a long shot, but I try my best to do everything I can to keep her safe and happy."

Was that enough? Dax's was definitely a lot better.

Aphrodite looked them both over again. Leo walked behind Aphrodite and made a decapitating motion with his hand. Jason's face went pale and Leo started laughing. Jason would have to pay him back later.

"Dax, Jason, you're bravery and skill have proven you are capable warriors," Aphrodite said, "The reason I wanted to speak to you alone is because I wanted to evaluate your character at least a little."

She paused. Her eyes flitted between the two. She was _so_ enjoying this. Her seductive smile returned.

"Congratulations, you have passed the test. I'll be seeing you both later." Aphrodite glided away.

Both boys let out a relieved gasp.

"Holy Hera." Jason said, "I really thought you were going to get us blown up on the spot."

Dax grinned, "Me too. Especially because I winged it after that little comment."

Jason gaped at him, "You've been hanging out with Percy too much, or maybe it just runs in the family."

Dax had a faraway look in his eye, "Maybe it does," he paused, his eyes zeroing in on something, "They're laughing at us."

Jason followed Dax's gaze to find Jenni and Piper laughing to themselves and pointing at the boys. They must have watched the whole thing. Jason's cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Breaking his gaze off the girls, Jason quickly scanned the room. Frank and Hazel were talking to Hades and Mars. The two gods seemed good-naturedly amused at the petrified Frank. Hazel smiled warmly while Nico laughed at Frank's expression. _Good_, Nico was laughing. Jason didn't know how he would be after the war was over. Nico still may never come back to camp.

Only twenty feet to Jason's right, Zeus was speaking to Thalia. His sister noticed him and waved happily. This peaked Zeus's curiosity. The king of the gods turned and spotted Jason. He smiled a little nervously before turning back to Thalia. She mouthed, _come here_.

Dax snapped him back to his body, "I say it's our turn to make fun of them."

Jason laughed, "I don't disagree," he looked back at his father and sister, "But I need to have one more conversation before I can relax with Piper."

Dax looked at Zeus, then back at Jason. He clapped Jason on the back, "No worries. I'm sure she can wait a few more minutes. Good luck."

Jason watched Dax walk to the two girls. Piper looked expectantly at Jason, but Dax said something that made her smile. Jason smiled back,

The son of Zeus took a deep breath and went to meet his father.

* * *

Everything was slowly falling into place. Percy wasn't normally one to enjoy gossip and drama, but watching everyone around him made him feel pretty good. Percy had stood off to the side and watched Dax with Poseidon and Athena. The scene almost brought tears to his eyes. Keenan and Leo were off to one side talking softly. Those two had it hard. Watching everyone else reunite with their godly parents must really hurt after their dad's sacrifice. At least they could be proud of him, and of themselves.

Annabeth had left him on his own after Aphrodite stole Dax from Poseidon and Athena. She wanted to have a private word with her mom, which Percy totally understood. He was content with being alone for a few moments, until he noticed Poseidon walking over to him.

"How'd it go?" Percy asked quietly.

"Much better than expected," Poseidon stood at Percy's side and watched the room, "Dax has a lot to sort through right now, between this and Ryder, and I need you to be there for him. He identifies more with you than Annabeth."

"Of course. We'll have a long time together on this next adventure. I have a feeling that there's more to this than Atlas though."

"I think you're right. Please, be careful Percy. This may not be an old enemy but a new one, and those are the worst kind. We don't know what to expect," Poseidon lowered his voice further, "You should know, Alcyoneus is unaccounted for. Hades confirmed he is the only giant not in Tartarus. We just didn't want to scare anyone before the quest even started."

"That makes things more… complicated, but we'll be ready. We're stronger than ever." Percy said more confidently than he felt.

"I hope so, Percy," Poseidon paused to look at Dax and Jason being interrogated by Aphrodite, "I never thought I'd see Dax show his fear this badly."

Percy laughed, "Are you kidding? Aphrodite is scarier than Athena, but don't tell her I said that," Poseidon laughed, "But I think Frank has him beat. It looks like he thinks Hades is going to drag him down to Tartarus."

They both laughed, "Hopefully your uncle doesn't have too much fun with him. Frank is good kid."

"No doubt. He and Hazel are great together."

Poseidon nodded but didn't respond. They stood together watching for a few moments. Aphrodite finally released the boys and Dax made a beeline for Jenni. Jason hesitated, and then turned to face his father. _Oh boy_.

Jack wandered aimlessly, his head hanging a little bit. Dark bags had formed under his eyes.

Poseidon nudged Percy, "Go talk to Apollo's boy. He seems to be taking thnigs rather hard. The three of you need to be able to be there for each other on this quest. It never hurts to start a little early."

Percy looked at his father and nodded, "Thanks Dad, I'll see you later."

Poseidon smiled warmly and walked slowly towards Zeus and Jason. Percy made his way towards Jack. The other boy didn't seem to notice Percy until he was practically on top of him.

"Hey Jack, how are you feeling?"

Jack looked up slowly, "Oh, hey, Percy," he winced as he looked down at his side, "I'm okay. Still hurts pretty good. I'm still pissed at myself. I should've been there."

Percy knew what he meant. Jack missed the worst of the fight. It was tough to not be their while your friends were fighting. And he couldn't be there at the end for Ryder.

"Jack, don't beat yourself up about it. You couldn't have changed the end result," Jack winced again, this time from mental pain, "Thank you, for saving Reyna. I never got to thank you."

"No worries, dude. It's not like I could let her get smooshed," Jack snickered a little, "Listen, Percy, what you did that day was unreal, insane, and totally awesome. I'm really glad to be with you and Dax for the next quest."

Jack stuck out his hand, and Percy shook it. Jack's face grew dark again.

"Uh, and Percy, thank you for being there with Ryder in the end. It means a lot to me." Jack smiled weakly.

"No place else I'd have rather been," Percy laid a hand on Jack's shoulder, "Don't worry, it's hard but we'll get through, together."

"Percy Jackson, when did you get so mushy?"

If it wasn't a boy's voice Percy would've bet Clarisse was his taunter, but it was Leo, who was laughing to himself quietly. He'd managed to sneak up on them.

"What's up, Fire Dude?" Jack said. He smiled genuinely and put his arm around Leo's shoulders. Percy would take it, any progress is good enough.

"Nothing, just imagining all the ways I can smite you guys," Leo said. His eyes lit up with fire, but Percy could see a lingering sadness behind his eyes.

"Oh yeah? Not if I smite you first. I'll always be faster." Jack shot back playfully, "But I'll see you guys later. I think I ought to introduce myself to Skylar's mom."

"You're a brave soul. We'll be sure to honor your memory with a lovely funeral." Leo replied laughing.

Jack's eyes went wide, "She's not _that_ scary. Right, guys?"

Percy had never met Hecate. She'd been there when they were fished out of Tartarus, and at the battle, but Percy was never in a position to really talk to or even observe her.

"Actually, don't answer that," Jack cut Leo off. He smiled nervously, "To Hades I go."

Jack winked and walked away from the pair.

Percy and Leo stood awkwardly. Both of them knew what Leo was going to ask, but he hadn't worked up the courage yet.

Finally, Leo took a deep breath and spoke, "Percy, why didn't you do it?"

Percy looked at Leo compassionately for a moment, "Leo, I didn't accept Zeus' offer for the same reason you did accept it. And for the same reason I snuck out of Camp when Atlas was released the first time, why I left Ogygia, and leapt willingly into Tartarus. For Annabeth."

Leo looked down at the floor and didn't respond. Maybe Percy shouldn't have mentioned his leaving Calypso_. That reminds me…_

"Leo, you are going to be a fantastic god. Have some faith in yourself and you'll do great," Leo looked up and smiled, "I need you to do me a favor."

Leo looked at him quizzically, "Sure, what's up?"

Percy took a deep breath, "When you go free Calypso, I want you tell her that I forgive her. Not right away. You'll know when the time is right."

"You forgive _her_?" Leo asked, a little angry.

Percy nodded, "She'll understand what that means. If she explains it, you will too."

Leo looked absolutely dumbfounded. Percy decided to leave before he busted a gear. He said his goodbye, gave Leo a quick hug, and left to find Annabeth.

He was significantly less thrilled by who he actually ran into.

"Well, if it isn't Perry Johnson. You've managed to make me look the fool yet again." Mr. D stood in his way, arms crossed.

"Oh, hey Mr. D. It's not like I meant to. I just wanted to get back at Hera in a way that she wouldn't send a herd of cows after me," Percy stepped closer to the god, "And besides, you like us, and the camp needs you more than they want to admit."

Mr. D smiled, "They need you too, Percy. You may not have accepted Zeus' request, but the others still see you as a god among them. But, the place will need someone to keep order when you inevitably retire. And I get to boss Hera around? I could never pass up that golden apple. Yes, I'll stick around, but don't think for even a moment I won't have your hide on kitchen duty if you stick around long enough to cause your usual amount of trouble."

Percy liked the idea of retiring rather than the usual way a demigod got out of service to Olympus.

"We celebrate here, but its due time you left for camp. They need you all now."

Percy looked at Mr. D with a confused expression.

"Oh, come on, Perry. I'd have hoped you picked up some common sense, or street smarts as you people seem to enjoy saying. No matter, it's time to burn the shrouds."


	26. In Memorium

**A/N: Today the real BoO came out. Sorry, I miss counted, there will be 2 more chapters and then eventually a sequel. Thanks for reading and please review!**

**In Memoriam**

The sky was dark by the time the Marathon crossed Half Blood Hill, passing the Athena Parthenos resting next to Thalia's tree. The ship's instruments told Percy it was well after midnight, way best the bedtime of the younger camps. But when they crossed into camp, Percy saw hundreds of kids illuminated by the massive bonfire in the center of the amphitheater. The crowd spilled outward onto the surrounding lawn and was organized into little groups. As the Marathon drew closer, Percy could see that each group held a shroud.

Thalia and Nico, who had returned home on the flagship with the wounded, had told the rest of the crew that the Greek campers had begun making the shrouds for the lost heroes. The shrouds piqued the curiosity of both the Romans and the Flotilla demigods. Quickly, they adopted the idea for themselves.

The Flotilla ships were hovering in a circle around the crowd. Each ship had shrouds dangling off their railings. Off the flagship hung massive banners for the destroyed ships and their crews.

The sight was heartbreaking to Percy. After the happy reunion with the Olympians, it was hard to come back here. The heroes below them didn't get the chance to see their Olympian parents. They didn't get the reassurance the Marathon's crew did. They could take solace in the fact that they survived, but at a terrible price. But their leaders were about to embark on another quest, one far more mysterious. Normalcy would set in just in time for it to be yanked away. The Fates were cruel.

Jake Mason, Miranda Gardner, Octavian, Thalia told him that Pheobe had died saving a group of demigods from a pair of Cyclops, Dakota had fallen to a drakon, Bob, Damasden, Hephaestus, Ryder, and all the others Percy didn't even know about yet.

So many good people who shouldn't have had to die for this war. This was the Titan War all over again, on an even bigger scale. The sorrow weighing on Percy's heart was almost too much to bear. And he hadn't even had to face the others yet.

Percy looked to his right on the bow railing. Annabeth stood, staring out at their home with a pained expression. Despite the pain, the loss, the hollow feeling, she was still beautiful with her blond hair blowing gracefully in the wind. Percy smiled.

Annabeth realized he was staring at her at turned to him. She grabbed both his hands, "We can rebuild. We can survive. We can live. Together. Greeks, Romans, and the Flotilla."

Percy leaned down and kissed her. The spread of the shroud tradition gave him hope that everyone could heal as a whole.

Dax slipped onto the railing on his other side, "Camp, it's beautiful."

Percy tore his eyes away from the commotion and looked around. Even in the darkness, the canoe lake glistened peacefully. The cabins stood tall and proud. The Big House even looked like it got a new paint job.

"Welcome home." Annabeth answered. Dax smiled and his eyes twinkled.

As the Marathon approached the center of the crowd, a cheer went up. In spite of everything, Percy and the others still gave the campers hope. Warmth filled Percy's gut and he squeezed Annabeth's hand.

They'd saved the world. Again. _I guess one more time can't hurt._

Jason pushed a rope ladder off the deck as the Marathon approached the bonfire. The Argo's original crew, minus Leo, began to climb down.

Percy and Annabeth turned descend.

"Hey, Percy. It never had a name." Dax called after him.

Percy stopped, "What didn't?"

Dax smiled and pulled his sword a few inches out of the hilt, revealing the two-toned blade, "This. Poseidon didn't say it had one," Dax paused, "I was thinking, what about _In Memorium_? I guess _Memorium_ for short. I know it's Latin but…" His voice trailed off.

Percy smiled at his brother, "I think it's perfect. We can have Tyson engrave it. He'd love to spend some time with his new brother."

"Sounds like a plan. Now, go. They're all waiting for you, _hero_." Dax winked.

"Have fun up here, Wonder Boy." Percy shot back with a grin as he turned to descend the ladder behind Annabeth.

Impossibly, the crowd roared even louder when Percy stepped onto the ground.

_ So, this is what hope _sounds_ like._

The Seven now Six, Thalia, and Nico walked to the central podium, where Chiron stood with Reyna and Rachel. Hugs and hellos were thrown around. The real celebration would have to wait, but that didn't stop a few old friends from rushing forward. Travis and Connor were first to the podium, followed by Malcolm and finally Clarisse and Chris.

Clarisse pushed Malcolm out of the way to stand in front of Percy and Annabeth before wrapping them both in a crushing bear hug.

"Be a little more careful of giant holes to hell next time, eh, Prissy?" Clarisse said as she punched Percy in the arm.

"Good to see you too, Clarisse." Percy replied.

Travis poked his head around Clarisse, "Wait, where's Leo?"

All the other faces grew just as concerned.

"Leo is gonna be staying on Olympus." Piper was the first to answer.

Chiron and Clarisse's eyes grew wide. Malcolm nodded, as if it made perfects sense, which it probably did to Athena's son. The three Hermes boys looked at each other very confused.

"Staying on Olympus?" Connor asked.

"Like for good?" Travis continued.

"Oh, man. Leo's gonna be a god!" Chris finally put the pieces together.

Travis and Connor's eyes lit up like fireworks on the fourth of July. They practically leapt into the air while high-fiving, "Awesome! Godly pranks!" They said at the same time.

"Some things never change." Annabeth whispered to him.

"Good." Percy whispered back.

Chiron trotted behind Percy and placed a hand softly on his shoulder, "We should get started."

Percy nodded and stepped forward. This was not the time for speeches, it was the time for strength, and mourning, and moving forward while always keeping the people who've been lost in memory, _in memorium_.

The Marathon had risen higher after depositing the heroes. Percy lifted his hand and waved at Dax, who shot back a thumbs up.

Two banners uncurled from the Marathon's railing. A crimson shroud rolled down. A white sword was embroidered into the cloth. A white whip curled around the sword. Next to it, a gray shroud with two crossed swords spilled down the hull. The Marathon's crew lit them both together. As if a signal went up. All the Flotilla's shrouds were lit and burned down together. The ashy particles floated upward into the sky.

Annabeth nudged his side. When he looked down he realized she had produced two shrouds, one white and one black. She handed him the black one.

"Don't ask. Just open it." She said before Percy could ask whose they were.

The black shroud unfurled to reveal a white spear pointed up over a saber-tooth tiger. Annabeth's white shroud had a green Maeonian drakon curled around a lance of the same color. Bob and Damasden.

Percy was dumbstruck.

"I had to keep busy _somehow_ while you were asleep. It only seemed fair." Annabeth said with a smile.

"I love you." Percy replied.

"I love you too." She replied as she kissed him quickly.

Some of the crowd swooned at the couple. Clarisse made a point of audibly gagging.

Percy took the torch from Chiron so he and Annabeth could light the two shrouds. After a few seconds, the two demigods let the shrouds drift on the wind. The stars seemed to twinkle a little brighter.

"Bob says hello." Percy said to the sky quietly. Annabeth buried her face in his shoulder.

Reyna took the torch from Percy, and she lit Octavian's. The shroud was a brilliant gold, with a bright blue teddy bear. Percy had to stop himself from laughing.

The Greeks and Roman's followed their lead. Every cabin had at least one shroud to burn, and the Romans had even more. Nyssa held a black shroud with a crossed red sword and a hammer. Jake Mason. Katie Gardner, tears in her eyes, held her sister's, a green shroud embroidered with a beautiful daisy. It must have been her favorite flower. At the head of the Fifth Cohort, Gwen stood. From her hands sprawled a purple shroud, with a really well-done image of the Kool-Aid Man on it. Percy smiled. Dakota would have liked that.

The valley exploded with light when all the shrouds were lit. Every corner of Camp was brilliantly illuminated. Percy could see all the way to Long Island Sound, where the waves reflected the light so they looked to be burning themselves.

Sudden movement drew Percy's attention to the forge on the other side of camp. A massive pole stretched into the sky like a 90s FM radio, like the forge was trying to pick up the latest AC/DC hit. The pole stopped extending a hundred feet into the air, and then began to rotate. An interlocking web of metal began to sprawl out like a flag. Dyed crimson, the shroud displayed a black warhammer outlined in gold at its center. The Hephaestus cabin had pulled out all the stops for the tribute to their dad.

As soon as the shroud opened all the way, fire caught in one corner and began to rapidly spread, practically doubling the intensity of the light in the valley. Nobody looked away though, and no one spoke. Percy scanned the ring of ships, the cohorts, the cabins, and the forge, each with their own shrouds. The scene was so sad, but it was a beautiful sadness. Water started to creep into the edges of his vision and Percy had to squeeze his eyes shut.

After what felt like hours, the last of the fires went out, and the valley was only illuminated by the bonfire. A collective sigh of relief escaped the crowd. The dead had been honored and laid to rest. Now it was time to move forward and rebuild, but never forget.

Another bright light caught Percy's attention. The roof of the Big House was illuminated brightly, glowing blue. It was soothing, but also creepy, because Percy seemed to be the only one who noticed.

That definitely wasn't part of the show.

"Annabeth, do you see that?"

She looked at him with a worried expression, "See what?"

"The Big House. It's glowing blue."

"No… Are you alright?"

A million thoughts flashed through Percy's mind. Blue is good. Blue cookies are awesome. What buildings are blue? Houses sometimes. Zeus turned the Empire State Building blue that one time.

"Oh my gods!" Percy exclaimed, "How could I be so stupid?"

Percy took off towards the Marathon, his hands waving through the air frantically, trying to get someone's attention. Annabeth ran after him. A few of the others quickly followed.


	27. Upper East Side

**A/N: Almost done, folks. Tying up lose ends now. Enjoy!**

**Upper East Side**

Sleep had been tough to come by for almost a year now. It had been ever harder over the past month, ever since she recievedthe message. The message that unceasingly plagued her mind.

"_Mom. Hey, I'm alive. Hera put me to sleep for a while, and then she took my memory, and …" His voice faltered. "Anyway, I'm okay. I'm sorry. I'm on a quest. I'll make it home. I promise. Love you."_

Before that message, no one knew if Sally Jackson's son was safe, or if he was even alive. Her Upper East Side apartment had opened its doors tovmany of Percy's friends after his disappearance. Annabeth and Sally had frequent, tear-filled meetings. The mortal, Rachel Dare, had come by a few times to check on Sally. Clarisse La Rue had appeared once. Even though Sally had not met her before, she welcomed the demigod. The daughter of Ares had been distraught. She was scared for Annabeth and for the Camp, and didn't have anyone else to turn to for comfort.

But her most disturbing visitor had been Nico di Angelo. Sally's heart ached for the boy. He had no family, and from what she could tell he tried hard not to have friends. Sally tried to be a motherly figure to Nico whenever she saw him, but he was too cold and aloof for her to make real progress. When he visited, it was painfully apparent he was trying hard to keep something buried. He never spoke directly about his sadness, or any feelings actually, that Percy's disappearance caused. He presented a forced indifference, but Sally also sensed a determination to find her son. For that, she was grateful.

Sally was so proud of how much his friends respected and cared about him, but it made the pain worse in its own way. _What if he never comes back?_ Her sorrow deepened at the thought of anyone else, especially kids, hurting as much as her.

That all changed the morning she woke up to the voicemail. Sally was so overcome with emotion that she took a sick day from work, and Paul stayed home to be with her. Annabeth and Chiron had come over to listen to it in person after she contacted them. Annabeth had broken down in tears, but quickly recovered. The message confirmed her suspicion that Percy was at Camp Jupiter with no memories. They were already building a ship to rescue them.

Annabeth had roughly outlined what their quest was going to entail. It was an impossible task, one perfectly suited for Percy and Annabeth. That was the last visit Sally had from any of the demigods. She had been restless since, unable to sleep, anxious to hear that the heroes' journey was over and victorious.

Then a week and a half ago, the TV and radio stations began to flood with news of natural disasters popping up unnaturally around the world, with increasing intensity as the days passed. Earthquakes rattled all around the world, causing tsunamis to crush coastlines and volcanoes to erupt sporadically.

Five days ago, the news anchors were preparing viewers for the apocalypse. A freak storm system covered half of Europe. Tornadoes ripped apart Berlin. Lightning rained down on Kiev. An earthquake toppled the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. But the center of the storm was undeniably Greece, specifically Mount Olympus itself.

Sally knew her son was there.

The week of insane disasters climaxed with a massive earthquake that the Richter scale could not measure starting at the base of Olympus. It was supposedly felt all the way in India. The town at the base of Olympus was obliterated. The TV showed pictures of a ruined wasteland of rubble, but the mountain still stood and the storm had dispersed rapidly. That had to mean the heroes had won, but where was Percy?

Paul sat down at the table next to Sally. He slid a fresh cup of hot chocolate in front of her. He placed a hand on hers.

"He's with Annabeth. Together they always come out on top."

Paul's voice was so convincing, Sally just wanted to melt into that sentence, that idea. She knew he was right. She always sensed when Percy was in danger.

"Remember what Annabeth said?" Paul continued, "If they had lost, the world would have ended by now."

Paul smiled warmly, then stood. He walked to the window and opened the blinds. It was the middle of the night, but Sally could make out the building across the street, illuminated by streetlights and window lamps.

"Looks like the world is A-Okay to me. They won." Paul turned back to her and smiled again.

_But at what price?_ She didn't say it out loud. She didn't want to burden Paul with her pessimism, and he would have some positive way of shooting it down anyway.

Paul turned and stared out the window for a few more moments, seemingly taking in the idea that their lives could have been wiped out of existence by something so totally out of their control, but in the end it was his own stepson that saved the world.

"Hey Sally," his voice came out kind of confused, "when's the last time you saw a blimp in NYC?"

Sally barely registered the question, "Never outside of a parade."

"There's no parade scheduled for right now, right?"

That got her attention. Sally jumped to her feet, "Absolutely not."

"Ah, must be that Mist thing. Check this out."

Sally practically ran to the window, where she started to laugh. What Paul identified as a blimp was in fact a floating Greek trireme. Its hull was painted a flat black with a gold trim. Damages from an intense battle were evident. It vaguely reminded Sally of a pirate ship.

The ship glided to a stop outside their building. A rope ladder was thrown over the side, and figures descended to the ground. Sally couldn't make out any faces in the dark, but there had to be around a dozen people. One figure was a head taller than anyone else. Tyson, maybe? She caught a glimpse of a flash of blonde hair and streaks of white.

Two of the group broke off and walked towards the door. As they climbed the front steps into the light, Sally was able to make out Percy and Annabeth, smiling giddily. In a flash, Sally was out the apartment door and flying down the stairs to meet them. She flung the door open before Percy even had a chance to hit the buzzer.

Sally stood only feet from her son, totally speechless. Percy was wearing a lopsided grin. Annabeth couldn't look happier. Both of them looked stronger, tanner, and older, like they had seen things eighteen-year-olds were never meant to even dream of, which they probably had.

"Hey, Mom." Percy broke the silence.

His voice reminded her that this was really happening, that Percy was safe and home.

Sally lunged forward and embraced them both tightly. She couldn't exclude Annabeth. Who was Percy without Annabeth? _Probably dead_, Sally thought.

She released them slowly, but didn't say anything else. Her emotions still bogged down any rational thought or action.

"So, uh, can we go up now?" Percy asked awkwardly. Annabeth nudged him, but both were still grinning.

"Oh, of course, honey. I'll whip up some cookies. Do your other friends want to come in?" Sally pointed at the crowd under the ship.

Percy turned around, "Oh, right," as if he'd forgotten his other friends, "Hey guys, c'mon in!"

* * *

Sally put the first batch of cookies in the oven as all the kids settled around the dining room table. Outside of Percy and Annabeth, she only knew Nico and Thalia. The rest started to introduce themselves.

"Jason Grace, son of Jupiter and Thalia's brother."

Thank the gods Annabeth already explained the existence of the Romans. Sally didn't think she could handle that headache, especially without even hearing about this quest yet. Jason was a strong, good looking boy. Despite his sharp jaw and defined muscles, his eyes sparkled happily.

On his lap sat a beautiful girl. She looked Native American. Her eyes never seemed to stick to a single color.

"I'm Piper Mclean, daughter of Aphrodite." The girl smiled warmly at Sally.

Mclean? That name seemed familiar. Was she related to the actor, Tristan Mclean? _Maybe she is his daughter._ Sally decided not to ask. If Piper was, then she heard that question more than enough.

Piper and Jason. Those names were familiar from her conversations with visiting demigods. But wasn't there a third name? That might be a sensitive subject so Sally remained silent. She was sure they would explain everything.

A very large boy cleared his throat, "Uh, Frank Zhang, son of Mars and descendant of Poseidon."

"That's Praetor Frank Zhang." Jason said. Percy laughed as Frank turned bright red and mumbled something. A dark skin girl giggled and squeezed his hand before turning to Sally.

"Hazel Levesque, daughter of Pluto, or Hades." Hazel curtsied. Nico's half-sister. That will be good for the boy.

"Mom, Hazel and Frank were with me in Alaska," Percy said as he smiled at the two, "And Jason was the Roman that Hera switched me with. Piper, Annabeth, Jason, and Leo picked us up from the Roman camp before we went to Rome."

"And Hedge." Piper added.

A mixture of groans and laughs filled the room.

"Who's Hedge?" A blond boy sitting on the counter asked curiously.

Percy laughed, "You guys missed out. I guess we'll have to start from the beginning… Jason, Pipes?"

"Okay!" They both said eagerly.

Jason and Piper, with a few comments from Annabeth, launched into their story. They started with Jason waking up on the bus, the crazy storm spirits at the Grand Canyon, and the arrival at camp with Leo. They detailed their journey to Quebec and Boreas, then Detroit and Ma gasket, Chicago and Medea. By the time they got to the final battle at the Wolf House, Sally was totally awestruck. That was their first quest ever? Then again, Percy went to the Underworld to recover Zeus' Master Bolt on his first quest. It was hard enough raising a demigod. Sally couldn't imagine actually _being_ one.

"Wait, so you guys did all that before you met Percy or started the real quest? Hades, I can't wait for the good part!" The blonde boy exclaimed.

The boy sitting next to Percy face-palmed, "Jack, we were there for the _good_ part."

He had long hair the same color as Percy's, but his eyes were storm gray, strikingly similar to Annabeth's. His expression was totally unreadable, but his voice was layered with sarcasm.

"Well, we helped with that. I mean what the Seven did on their own. Must have been a crazy ride to Greece."

"You don't know the half of it," Jason answered, "Your turn, Percy."

"Okay, Frank and Hazel help me out."

The three of them quickly walked their audience through their journey, from Percy's waking up in the Wolf House to Alaska and back to Camp Jupiter. Throughout the story, the only face that mirrored Sally's terror was Annabeth's. Sally saw tears start to form in Annabeth's eyes when he revealed that she was his only memory. Both their hearts leapt out of their chests when Percy fell off the glacier in Alaska. Sally had to calm herself repeatedly. He's right here. He's alive.

"Then the Argo II arrived at Camp Jupiter." Percy concluded.

"Now for the good part, Jack." Jason said.

"And the bad part." Hazel added.

"Oh, but Percy and Annabeth get reunited," Piper said happily. Percy and Annabeth blushed bright red.

"That was one of the most confusing and somehow heartwarming things I have ever seen." Jason said.

"Annabeth, you judo-flipped a Roman Praetor," said Frank, "If it wasn't for Reyna, oh boy. We would have had an all-out war right there."

Percy laughed, "What, a few hundred Romans on seven of us? We've had worse," everyone laughed, but only half-heartedly, "Besides, it only took us another hour to start the war anyway."

The laughter stopped completely.

"Anyway…" Annabeth continued.

The six heroes launched into their story, each of them trading off narrating. Hazel hilariously recounted her and Leo's encounter with Narcissus. Then they got to Kansas.

"I thought Percy and Jason were going to kill each other," Piper said, "I was so scared then, but now it's kind of funny."

"Of course, Mr. D, didn't help," Percy snorted. The heroes from Camp Half Blood laughed.

* * *

The sun came up and six batches of blue cookies were devoured by the time the crew of the Argo's story intertwined with the crew of the Marathon's. Sally didn't know how much more she could take of this story. Her son had fallen into Tartarus for Annabeth, and they survived. It was the most incredible thing she'd ever heard, but something told her she shouldn't speak too soon.

"And then the good guys make an impressive entrance!" Jack said.

"Yeah, Dax hit his head on a marble pillar," Percy said laughing.

"To be fair, I also killed a giant and _saved_ you," Dax replied.

"You also blew up the Parthenon!" Annabeth glared at him.

"I thought you were over that," Dax said sheepishly.

"Are you kidding?" Annabeth looked bewildered.

"Guys, stop. We forgot to introduce ourselves to Mrs. Jackson," A gorgeous girl with white hair said. She was wearing a sleeveless white dress. The girl stood, "Hi, I'm Skylar, daughter of Hecate."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Skylar. Please, feel free to call me Sally," Sally replied. The warmth of Skylar's voice seemed to fill the room.

"I'm Jack Farrell," the blonde boy began, "son of Apollo and descendant of Hermes."

That explained his mischievous smile.

A rugged boy who hadn't spoken or shown much interest stood, "My pop's Hephaestus," his eyes seemed to water a little bit, "Name's Connor Keenan."

He sat as quickly as he stood. _I wonder what happened to the gods._

Another blond girl stood next to Dax. She was undeniably very pretty, but there was something dark lurking behind her eyes. Then she looked down at Dax, and the darkness drowned in a sea of sparkles. _The beauty of young love_.

"Jenni, daughter of Aphrodite."

She sat, and the boy they called Dax stood up. He took a deep breath, "Why am I always last?"

All the demigods laughed.

"Well duh, because you're the hardest to explain, Wonder Boy," Jack answered.

Percy laughed and high-fived Jack. Dax glared at both of them, which only made them laugh harder.

"That was rhetorical. Anyway, I'm Dax. I'm the son of Poseidon," that made sense to Sally. He had a lot of the same qualities Percy had, "and Athena."

Sally's stomach fell out and her jaw dropped.

"I'm no expert," Paul said, "But shouldn't that make you a god?"

"Here we go again," Keenan grumbled. Everyone laughed.

Quickly, all the demigods explained Dax's questionable heritage and the nature of the Flotilla, which was a good point to start the last chapter of their quest. The thirteen kids all threw in their different pieces and perspectives, all of which terrified Sally. The scope of the battle for Olympus was more than Sally was prepared to comprehend.

"You should've seen your son, Mrs. Jackson, er, Sally, sorry," Jack said, "Percy was incredible at every turn."

Percy turned bright red, "C'mon, don't put me on the spot. I didn't do any of that alone."

"Take a compliment already, Percy," Jason said through a mouthful of cookie, earning another round of laughter.

Still, despite the danger, Sally was again reminded of the man Percy had grown into since going to Camp Half Blood all those summers ago. He truly was a hero.

Sally's heart sank with the demigods' when they retold the ending to the battle. Now she understood why Keenan's eyes glossed over. The kind of sacrifice was incomparable to anything else. She couldn't imagine the boy's pain, or that of any of Ryder's friends.

Even worse, Percy and Annabeth had at least one more quest left for them. A quest that was as mysterious as it was daunting. Sally needed a moment to collect herself.

Gathering up the cookie trays, Sally went to the kitchen to deposit them in the sink. Annabeth grabbed the dirty plates and followed her.

"Oh, Annabeth, honey, you don't have to help," Sally said.

"It's the least I can do," Annabeth replied as she washed off the plates and put them in the dishwasher.

"Annabeth, thank you for bringing my son home," Sally said softly.

Annabeth smiled at Sally, "Sally, I couldn't have come home without him," She paused, a few tears clouding the storm of her eyes, "I promise he'll come back from the next one too."

Sally finished running the dishwasher and hugged Annabeth tightly. Over the girl's shoulder, Sally watched all the heroes and Paul laughing. Percy sat talking with his brother. Only one more quest, and Sally could see this moment for the rest of her life.


	28. Leo Asks a Dumb Question

**A/N: So this is it... Thank you so much to all the readers. I love the feedback. It's been fun. Keep your eye out for a sequel. **

**I hope i captured this dynamic the right way. Enjoy!**

**Leo Asks a Dumb Question**

Leo fell to his knees as the bright golden light faded around him. His skin tingled with hot energy. His legs were rubbery, weak. It might be a while before he could flash back to Olympus.

Olympus.

His new home.

Leo still had difficulty wrapping his head around the idea that he was a god. Even more, he was chosen to replace his father. Despite his sadness, a deep surge of pride forced its way to the surface when Zeus called him forward. It also solved his other problem.

The island looked exactly the same as the last time he was there. Beautiful. Peaceful. It was totally different than the battlefields Leo had been subject to for weeks. The grass bent gently in the wind. The sun was beginning to set.

The only difference was that the garden along the dirt path was twice as big. Calypso had been busy.

Even now, she was kneeling in the dirt with her back to him. She was attacking the dirt with her trowel, as if she was trying to hurt Gaea.

Just Calypso's presence rejuvenated him. He was quickly back on his feet. Leo let out a loud whistle, which startled the Titan's daughter.

Calypso stood quickly and turned. Her eyes went wide with joy and surprise, but only for a second, which was enough to send the butterflies in Leo's stomach into disarray.

Calypso's arms fixed firmly to her hips as she glared at Leo. "Di Immortales! Leo Valdez, didn't your mother tell you to never keep a girl waiting?"

There it was, that fire that got Leo's furnaces blazing. He strolled toward her without saying a word.

He stopped a few feet in front of her. Calypso didn't move. "How are you here?"

Leo puffed out his chest sarcastically. "You know, kicking Gaea's blocky butt earned me a few favors from Zeus."

Calypso's eyes left Leo's to search the beach behind him. "Where is your dragon?" Her eyes refocused on his, "How are we to leave?"

Leo's heart leapt at the mention of "we."

"Festus got a makeover. I'll have to fix him up back at the forge," Leo's voice grew serious, "As for leaving… that's way more complicated. I'm going to need a while to recharge."

Calypso studied him with confusion and suspicion. She was trying to figure out if Leo was playing games with her. Whatever she found apparently made her want to play along.

"Well, I suppose a few more moments is nothing after three thousand years. Sit, and explain this complication of yours."

The pair sat down in the grass looking out at the surf while the sun continued to set, tinting the whole sky orange. Leo couldn't imagine a more beautiful place. Actually, anywhere with this goddess would be this beautiful.

"You know, I never told how we started." Leo began.

"We were in a bit of hurry last time, if I recall."

"You were throwing pots and pans at me. I didn't really get the chance." Leo smiled at her.

Calypso laughed, that warm, free, downright contagious laugh Leo adored, "To be fair, you wanted to leave more than I wanted you to at first."

Now it was Leo's turn to laugh. "Sorry I had to pull my friends out of Tartarus and close the Doors of Death. No biggie."

"Tartarus…" Calypso had a faraway look in her eyes. Then they refocused on Leo, but her voice quivered, as if she already knew the answer to her next question, "Who was it?"

"Percy and Annabeth." Leo said softly. Leo had a feeling Calypso wasn't going to take that well.

He was not prepared for why.

Calypso's eyes started to water. "Did they say what they saw down there? What they fought?"

Leo tried to skirt around the topic of Percy and Annabeth. He tried to keep his voice light. "The usual. Titans, giants, nothing out of the ordinary."

Calypso was silent. Her eyes were fixed on some point on the horizon, but she wasn't really seeing. There was more to that question than simple curiosity or concern, but Leo didn't pick up on any residual feelings for Percy either. Leo decided to take a gamble.

Leo looked for Calypso's spot on the horizon. "Percy asked me for a favor. To tell you something."

They locked eyes. Calypso's cheeks were flushed. Her eyes were bright red. Leo had a feeling she knew exactly what he was going to say.

"Percy said…" Leo's voice cracked. He had to pause so his voice could recover," Percy said he forgives you."

Then the faucet broke and the waterworks started.

Seeing Calypso's normally rock-solid emotional shell totally shatter hurt Leo so deeply he couldn't speak for minutes. He could only hold Calypso as she sobbed. They rocked slowly back and forth in the wind.

Leo's initial anger at Percy's favor faded immediately. He could tell that Percy didn't cause Calypso's pain. She _did_ something. Leo could only be there for her, and listen if she wanted to confide in him.

Eventually, the tears stopped, but Leo guessed it was only because Calypso emptied her tear ducts. She pulled out of Leo's tight hug far enough to look him in the eyes.

"Of course he does. Of course he _forgives_ me!" her sorrow turned into contempt.

Leo tried to lighten the mood, "Oh, I know how infuriating it is to try to resent Percy."

Her eyes took on that mournful look again. "No, Leo. You do not understand. I _cursed_ her." Calypso's voice was frantic.

She was right. Leo had no idea what Calypso was talking about. He gave her a few seconds to come down.

"I will explain," Calypso took a deep breath, "When Percy left Ogygia to return to Annabeth I… I was heartbroken. I had forgotten what it was like. He was different from the others, Drake, Odysseus. It was not that he wanted to stay. I'm not sure how to explain. You know him. You understand."

Leo did. Percy didn't have to know a person well to care about them. He went out of his way to help anyone he could. He didn't expect thanks or rewards. He just did stuff like that because he was… well, Percy freaking Jackson.

"Regardless, it hurt," Calypso continued, "I was in such a bad way that I…" she faltered, "I cursed her, Leo. I cursed Annabeth. I did not even have the courage to curse Percy." The way she said her name, Leo shuddered. It was like acid mixed with that name in her mouth.

"What do you mean _cursed_?" Leo was surprised that Calypso had it in her to curse anyone.

"Have you ever heard of the _arai_?" Leo shook his head, "I thought as much. They are the spirits of curses, residing in Tartarus. They must have found Percy and Annabeth. Oh gods, I cannot even imagine how many curses Percy acquired in his lifetime. The curses are mostly of the dying breath sort, you see. But mine was not one of them. My curse was for Annabeth. In my grief I cursed her, to feel my despair, my abandonment, my eon of pain. Percy must have destroyed them all to protect her. How could he have survived?"

Leo was awestruck. If every enemy Percy ever slew cursed him, Leo couldn't imagine the sheer weight of those curses. If he had to destroy them to save Annabeth… how did they make it out?

Calypso's eyes must have been working overtime, because a fresh wave of tears rolled down. Leo pulled her tight to his chest again.

"So, one day in Arizona, Jason wakes up on a bus with me and Piper. He has no idea who he is, and we all start freaking out…"

Leo begins to tell the whole story, from the start. Sometime around Chicago, Calypso stopped crying, sat up, and listened intently. Leo told her everything, glossing over the mushy Percy and Annabeth fluff…

"…and then I woke up on this island. That's when I meant you."

It felt too cheesy to say something like and my life changed forever, or then I met the girl of my dreams. Leo wanted gag just at the thought. But he did pause his story long enough to look at Calypso. She looked even more beautiful than when he first met her. He hoped his eyes showed the love that he felt in his heart.

Calypso laughed, "You are the absolute worst."

She pushed his chest lightly, then pulled him in for a kiss. It was pretty much the greatest beach kiss of all time, and Leo would testify to that for the rest of his immortal life.

"Can we please get off this island now?" Calypso whined.

"But if you want to know _how_ we are getting off, you have to let me finish the story." Leo grinned.

Calypso grumbled, but allow Leo to continue.

"Anyway, so I get back to the Argo II, and we go to the House of Hades. With the help of a Titan and Giant, Percy and Annabeth are through the Doors and waiting for us. All we have to do is kill the giant Clytius. So what do we do? The crew of the Argo unleashes a colossus beat down on his dark-magic butt and we all live happily ever after. Sort of. Like two days later Percy and Annabeth get kidnapped… again… which brings us to the biggest curveball ever! You are so not going to believe this…"

* * *

"And then Zeus bellowed, 'Leo Valdez,' because of your tragic good looks and sense of humor, combined with your ingenuity, the council begs you to become the new god of forges and our new blacksmith.'"

Leo had a feeling that Calypso figured this out as he told the story, but that apparently didn't lessen her shock when he finally told her. She punched him in the arm. Hard.

"Shut up!"

"He may not have said it exactly like that, but that's the gist." Leo couldn't keep the stupid smirk off his face, "And now I can keep the promise Zeus made Percy."

Calypso's eyes started misting over, but this time out of happiness.

"Calypso, will you come to Olympus with me?"

She only stared back at him dreamily for a few seconds. Then she leaned in close. "Leo Valdez, that is the stupidest question you have ever asked me."

She kissed him again. Leo was content to stay like that forever, but he knew they couldn't. It was time to move on. The gods already dumped a list of weapons and stuff that needed to be repaired or rebuilt. Hades needed a whole new staff.

Time for a fresh start, for both of them.

A flash of light flared on the beach of Ogygia, maybe for the last time. When it died out, no one was left. Ogygia's prisoner was finally free.


End file.
